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CjDfVRIGliT DEPOSm 






MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


I like to play with dolls; do you? 

I comb their hair and dress them too; 

I make-believe they talk and say 
The things real people do all day; 

And they seem more than little toys 
When I pretend they’re girls and boys. 


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MARJORIE’S 
LITTLE DOLL 
SCHOOL 


BY 

PATTEN BEARD 

AUTHOR OR “Marjorie’s literary dolls,” 
“the jolly book of boxcraft,” etc. 



NEW YORK 

GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY 




COPYRIGHT, 1917, 

BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY 



«• < 
< « < 





PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 


NOV -2 1917 


©CI.A476900 

Vuu I 


THIS STORY BOOK FOR LITTLE GIRLS 
IS DEDICATED TO 


JEANNETTE GREGORY BYINGTON 

A HAPPY LITTLE GIRL 
WHO LIKES TO MAKE EVERYBODY AS HAPPY 
AS SHE IS HERSELF 


\ 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

1 . The Pupils 13 

II. The Principal and the Teachers 27 

III. Getting Daddy Wolsen’s Permis- 

sion 41 

IV. The Arrival 61 

V. The Opening Day 77 

VI. The Halcyon Hall Basket Ball 

Team 93 

VII. Broken Rules, Ice-Cream and 

Trouble 109 

VIII. The Thanksgiving Spread . . . 123 

IX. The Christmas Holidays . . . 141 

X. The Winter Term 153 

XL The Play 165 

XII. Tootsie Crams for Examinations . 177 

XIIL The Closing of Halcyon Hall . 193 



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ILLUSTRATIONS 


Marjorie’s New Dolls 


Frontispiece 


The George Abihad Wolsen Family 


The Assembly Hall Platform . 


i6*^ 


The John Noggins Family 22 v < 

Making Fudge in the Wolsens’ Kitchen 30 

Mrs. Noggins Calls on Mrs. Wolsen . . 44 ^ 

Daddy Wolsen’s Study 

Off for School 64 

The Little Dolls at Halcyon Hall . . 68 

Binkie’s Room at School 72 


80 


Lessons in Classroom B 86 

The Little Girl Dolls Going to Class . 96 

The Basketball Team 102 " 

The Trained Bear 1 10 " 

The Ice Cream Store 114 

Binkie Had Eaten Too Much Ice Cream 118 
The Grand Spread 126 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

Mademoiselle Ouinon 130 

The Little Dolls in Disgrace .... 136 

Packing Priscilla Jukes’s Trunk ... 142 

The Poor Children’s Christmas Tree . 144 

Binkie’s '‘Birthday” Stocking .... 146 

Coasting and Skating at Miss Little- 

doll’s School 156 

The Concert 160 

Miss Littledoll’s School Takes a Walk 166 

Tootsie Asks Permission to Invite the 

Boys 168 

The First Play at Halcyon Hall ... 170 

On THE Lake 178'^ 

Tootsie Studies Hard to Pass Examina- 
tion 182 

Tootsie Noggins in Miss Means’ Room . 186 

Commencement Day 194 

Binkie and Her Pony 200 


I 




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CHAPTER ONE: THE PUPILS 

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CHAPTER I 


THE PUPILS 

D O you like surprises? My best little girl 
friend, Marjorie, likes them. I like them 
too. We like the small ones that come in 
packages of penny candy as well as the big sur- 
prises that sometimes happen in a jolly unexpected 
way at home or at school or at play. I’m going to 
tell you about one of the nicest kind of surprises 
that came to Marjorie and me once upon a time 
not very long ago. You know, we both like to play 
dolls and this was a surprise about doll play. I 
can’t tell you any more without beginning right 
at the start. 

It came in Marjorie’s summer vacation. In 
summer vacation there is always plenty of time for 
Marjorie to play dolls and make doll-clothes. 
Probably you know how very full school days are 
— lessons and home-work and practising and ever 
so many other important things to do, never any 
13 


14 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

time long enough to sit down and play in a doll 
house ! I was ever so glad it happened in summer 
vacation. So was Marjorie. 

As I said, Marjorie is my best little girl friend. 
She is eleven years old and she thinks that it is the 
greatest fun in the world to play dolls. She has a 
big white doll house in her playroom, and beside 
this she has ever and ever so many other toys. She 
lets me come to play with her quite often even 
though I am not a little girl at all. I like to play 
dolls just the same, though. I think I always shall 
— especially when I have Marjorie. She’s splen- 
did fun. 

I have ever so many toys too. The reason I still 
happen to have them is that I loved them when I 
was a little girl and I never wanted to give them 
away, as most persons do, when I grew up. I keep 
them next to my study in a room that has boxes 
and doll trunks. It is a store-room but I call it my 
toy-closet. My big doll, Edith, is there and my 
toy furniture and my tea and dinner sets that really 
came from Paris. Sometimes Marjorie likes to 
I go over to her house and we play with her doll 
come over to play with my toys but, most usually. 


THE PUPILS 


15 


families, the Mr. George Abihad Wolsen family 
and the John Noggins family and the Mr. Bracton 
family. I take the John Noggins family. Mar- 
jorie plays with the George Abihad Wolsens and 
we let the Bracton dolls come to call. 

It’s the family of Mr. George Abihad Wolsen 
that stays in Marjorie’s doll house. They live 
there. We play that Mr. Wolsen is very well 
known and that he is a dolls’ author. The family 
is made up of Mrs. Wolsen, whose name is Marie, 
and four children, Jackie and Binkie and Peggy 
and Chuckles the baby. 

My doll family — the ones Marjorie lends me for 
play — are the Nogginses. Mr. John Noggins is an 
artist. He usually has a studio somewhere in a 
corner of the playroom near the big window. He 
paints pictures but he doesn’t often sell them. 
Once in a while he does. Then he feels terribly 
rich while the money lasts — but usually the John 
Noggins family is rather poor. They use all the 
older toy furniture and the things that aren’t nice 
enough for the rich Wolsens who live in the doll 
house. 

There is a Mrs. Noggins. Her name is Erme- 


16 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

linda. The children are Ted and Tootsie. They 
are about as old as Jackie and Binkie. All four 
play together. 

Sometimes I play that my doll family boards in 
a boarding-house. It isn’t exactly home-like to do 
that. There is never any place for the children to 
play, you know. So I take Ted and Tootsie over 
to the Wolsens and let them run around with 
Jackie and Binkie. (Jackie and Ted are about 
thirteen. Binkie and Tootsie are about eleven.) 

Mrs. Wolsen is a lovely mother. She lets the 
children have pets and she lets them make fudge in 
the kitchen — oh, she’s ever so nice! (But they 
have to keep pretty quiet upstairs because, other- 
wise, they might disturb Mr. Wolsen who is always 
in the study typewriting.) 

The Bracton dolls are just Mr. and Mrs. Brac- 
ton and their child, Betty. T hey are society peo- 
ple. Betty goes to boarding school — that’s what 
Marjorie and I pretend because we really like best 
to play with Tootsie and Binkie, you know. 

And now that you know all about our dolls, I’ll 
tell you about THE SURPRISE — I had to keep 



THE GEORGE ABIHAD WORSEN FAMILY 


^ I ^HESE dolls belong to Marjorie and live in 
the white doll house. Mr. Wolsen is a 
writer doll. He makes up stories, so Marjorie 
says. Mrs. Wolsen is a home-body. They aren’t 
society people. They like to take walks on Sun- 
day afternoons — they’re that kind. They take 
the baby with them. It’s name is Chuckles. 
Jackie is the Wolsen boy, Binkie is the Wolsen 
girl and there’s a little sister, Peggy. She’s quite 
fat and cunning. The Wolsens have ever so 
many pets. 



THE PUPILS 


17 


you waiting because you had to know, first of all, 
about Marjorie’s dolls. 

THE SURPRISE happened this way: I went 
to the post-office one afternoon to mail a letter and 
when I came out of the door, I saw Marjorie 
across the street looking in at the window of the 
ten-cent store. I hadn’t been expecting to meet her 
and she hadn’t even seen me ! 

I crossed the street and came up behind her. 
“Hello!” I sang out. “What’re you looking at?” 

Marjorie almost jumped. “Oh, how nice,” she 
returned. “I was walking by here to buy a pencil 
and a pad and — and I saw thisT (The “this” was 
a whole window full of dolls!) 

“I can’t believe that they cost only ten cents,” I 
exclaimed. “Aren’t they wonderful 1” 

“Wouldn’t they go beautifully with Binkie and 
Tootsie!” 

“I never saw such cunning little girl dolls 
before !” 

“Their hats and coats and dresses look exactly 
like real school children ! Why! Why!” laughed 

Marjorie, “they look I tell you what: it’s 

Betty Bracton’s boarding-school !” 


18 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


“To be sure!” I laughed too. Why we neither 
of us ever expected to run across Betty Bracton’s 
school like that! It really was a very great 
SURPRISE! 

“I wish I could buy them all,” sighed Marjorie. 
“Then we could really play Betty Bracton’s 
school!” 

“Wouldn’t it be fun!” 

“Wouldn’t it! Do you think Mrs. Noggins 
could afford to let Tootsie go?” 

“Well, maybe if Mr. Noggins had just sold a 
picture,” I mused. “Tootsie needs the discipline 
of boarding-school. She doesn’t know how to 
study.” 

“I think,” said Marjorie, “Mrs. Wolsen might 
let Binkie go, if Mr. Wolsen said so, — but it would 
cost a great deal of money to buy a whole window 
full of dolls even when they are each only ten cents 
apiece!” 

We stood there looking at the dolls. I wish you 
could have seen them. They were darlings! I 
think each was about six inches tall. Their hats 
and coats and dresses looked exactly like real little 
girls’ clothes. Some had light hair and blue eyes 


THE PUPILS 


19 


and some had dark hair and brown eyes. Others 
had hair that was black or ^‘just between brown 
and yellow.'’ 

“We needn’t buy all the dolls, Marjorie! We 
might buy enough to make a very select 
school ” 

“How many ?” 

I looked in my purse. I had eighty cents in 
change and a two-dollar bill. I didn’t want to 
break the two-dollar bill unless necessary. When 
you break a bill, somehow, all the money runs 
away! I knew I couldn’t afford two dollars and 
eighty cents’ worth of little dolls ! 

“We can spend eighty cents,” I announced. 

“Eight little dolls !^’ beamed Marjorie. “Let’s 
choose !” 

Don’t you love to choose things? Marjorie and 
I do. Sometimes when we go to walk, we play 
that we can really have all the things we choose 
from the shop windows. It’s lots of fun. I sup- 
pose you play that too! At Christmas it’s most 
exciting. There are so many many things that 
are beautiful in shop windows then! But, of 
course, we never really have the things we choose 


20 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

unless we choose from the ten-cent store window. 
There everything is cheap as well as splendid. 
Marjorie and I do enjoy the ten-cent store. I 
think, probably, you do too. 

What fun ! Now we were going to choose eight 
little dolls from the window. We were really go- 
ing to take them home with us to Marjorie’s play- 
room I We were going to make a new play, a little 
dolls’ school ! Jolly ? — I should say so ! 

‘‘Your turn first, Marjorie,” said I. 

Hardly had I said it when Marjorie’s answer 
pounced out: “I want this little one — see! She 
has such a pretty white coat with pink trimming! 
I’ll call her Pinkie.” 

“No. She must have a real name. We must 
name them as we choose. Don’t you think that 
would be most fun!” 

Marjorie agreed. “I’ll call her Rosalind. I 
always liked that name. We can call her Pinkie 
for a pet name. Shall we?” 

“She must have a middle name and a last name 
too ! Suppose we call her Rosalinda Clara Smith.” 

“That’s all right,” returned Marjorie. “Now 
you choose.” 


THE PUPILS 


21 


I took Penelope Jukes. Penelope had dark hair 
and she wore a blue dress that had a collar like a 
sailor suit. The trimming on the collar was red 
and brown. 

Marjorie had a special love for little dolls with 
yellow hair. “I choose a blue-eyed dear little doll 
next. I call it Dotty Dawson/’ she explained. “I 
don’t know why — the name seems to fit.” 

“I choose the one in green over there ” 

'‘You didn’t name her!” 

-Let’s see ” 

“Violet?” suggested Marjorie. 

“No.” 

“Pearl — Pearl is a pretty name ” 

“I don’t like it. I think I’ll call her Laura. 
She is dressed in green and brown so she’ll be 
Laura Brown.” 

“I choose the cute little one over there — the one 
with the light blue dress. I’ll call her Phoebe 
Snow.” 

“Oh, Marjorie,” I protested. “I was going to 
choose her!” 

We laughed. You know we often wanted the 


22 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


very same things when we chose. That was part 
of the fun ! 

“Well, you’re taking all ^he pretty ones,” I 
sighed. “I’ll have to have a homely one. See! 
I’ll take a very plain little doll and call her Jane 
— it shall be Jane James. There she is over in the 
corner by herself. I don’t think she can be very 
popular.” 

“How many have we chosen?” 

“Six.” 

“We can have two more — one apiece. How 
much do you suppose the whole windowful would 
cost?” 

We began to count the dolls. It was to put off 
the end of the choosing as long as possible. Of 
course, when one is having fun, one doesn’t like 
to have it end! It would end the game of choos- 
ing as soon as we each took one more little doll. 

Marjorie lingered over the counting. “I’ve got 
it!” I announced. “There are exactly seventy-two 
dolls in the window.” 

“Seven dollars and twenty cents,” Marjorie 
commented. “Couldn’t we choose two more — 
two each!” 



THE JOHN NOGGINS FAMILY 


T PLAY that these dolls belong to me. Mr. 

John Noggins is an artist, I make believe. He 
likes to wear an old red sweater and a straw hat. 
Mrs. Noggins’ name is Ermelinda. She is a 
handsome woman but she dresses in a simple 
way. (She has to because the John Nogginses 
are quite poor, except for the times when Mr. 
Noggins happens to sell a picture.) Ted Noggins 
is the boy doll of the family. He goes to a Mili- 
tary Academy. Tootsie Noggins is the little girl. 



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THE PUPILS 


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I shook my head. “It would break into the 
bill/' I said. “I hate to break into a bill. If there 
is change in my purse, I always seem to spend it, 
Marjorie." 

“You're very good to buy eight!* 

“I wish it wasn't a two dollar bill!" 

“Well, eight little dolls are ever so much to buy 
at one time in one day, I think." 

“But they're not expensive." 

“No— not at all!" 

“Two would only be twenty cents extra " 

“But I'd have to break the two dollars." 

We both sighed. 

“I think I'll choose my last doll, Marjorie! 
There are ever so many names left in my head. 
I'm going to use three all in a bunch. I'll choose 
Kathleen Diana Deborah Finch. She's the one 
over there in plaid." 

“I'll take the curly haired one next her. I name 
her Annette Allison." 

“Come," said 1. And we went into the ten-cent 
store to buy them. 


4 


♦ 


CHAPTER TWO: THE PRINCIPAL 
AND THE TEACHERS 







CHAPTER II 


THE PRINCIPAL AND THE TEACHERS 

T he pianola and the victrola were both 
going with different tunes when we 
opened the big red door of the ten-cent 
store and walked in. The pianola was playing a 
very rumpety-tumpety piece and the victrola was 
singing a classical record. There was a good 
deal of noise but it sounded rather jolly and, you 
know, Marjorie and I like the ten-cent stores so 
we didn’t mind. We wedged through the crowd 
and past several counters where I wanted to stop, 
and we arrived at the toy counter. 

The toy counter like the window outside was 
all little girl dolls, the very same kind of dolls that 
the others were! We could handle them and ex- 
amine them and we did it. But, though the dolls 
looked like the ones in the window, Marjorie in- 
sisted that the ones in the window were the best. 
The clerk declared they were all the same and I 

27 


28 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

thought they looked enough alike to be twins and 
triplets but Marjorie begged for the ones in the 
window. ''They are the ones we named/^ she 
argued. “We can’t name these all over again 
because I wanted the names I named.” 

Well, I asked the clerk to get us the dolls from 
the window. She said that wasn’t possible be- 
cause it was against rules — she couldn’t. 

Oh, bother! 

“But can’t there be an exception?” I pleaded. 

“Please ” urged Marjorie with a smile. 

So the clerk said she would ask the floorwalker 
and off she went. While she was gone, Marjorie 
showed me where the dolls were different. The 
one that ought to have been Rosalinda Clara 
Smith wasn’t dressed in white and pink. She had 
Penelope Jukes’ blue dress on. Indeed, I hadn’t 
noticed it but I saw that we’d have to have the 
ones from the window or re-name them as Mar- 
jorie said. We waited a long time for the clerk 
to come back. The victor record was changed to 
something that was ragtime and the pianola tried 
ragtime too so it was noisier than ever and jollier. 

But the clerk came back and she said that we 


PRINCIPAL AND TEACHERS 29 

could have the dolls from the window as a special 
favour and she'd take them out, if we’d show her 
which ones were which. 

It took quite a time for Marjorie insisted on 
asking for Rosalinda Clara Smith, Penelope 
Jukes, Dotty Dawson, Laura Brown, Phcebe 
Snow, Jane James, Annette Allison and Kathleen 
Diana Deborah Finch each by name. I couldn’t 
have remembered all those names but she knew 
them! 

The clerk laughed and rather enjoyed it. We 
told her the reason we wanted so many was that 
we were going to start a dolls’ school. Oh, she 
was very interested. “You don’t say,” she ex- 
claimed. “If that isn’t an ideal And are you 
going to have teachers?” 

“Teachers!” 

“Why, of course!” 

“Dolls?” inquired the clerk. (I think she 
thought she could sell us more!) 

“Oh,” I said, “I think Marjorie and I will be 
the teachers, won’t we, Marjorie?” 

“We might,” returned the little girl. “But I 


30 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


think the teachers ought to be dolls too, don’t 
you?” 

“We could use Mrs. Noggins, and Mrs. Wol- 
sen, and Mrs. Bracton,” I feebly suggested. 

“Oh no! No, never! That would spoil the 
dolls’ house play.” 

“We have some larger dolls,” the clerk spoke 
up. “They are on the other side of the store. 
They are beautiful dolls. Would you care to look 
at them?” 

Mercy! I opened my purse and saw that there 
was that two dollar bill beside the change I had 
used for the little girl dolls! “We can look at 
them,” I agreed, “but I hate to break a bill be- 
cause it’s so easy to spend change. I think we 
have enough dolls for to-day, Marjorie.” 

We followed the clerk to look at the other dolls. 
Of course, I knew what would happen! We no 
sooner saw them than Marjorie pounced upon 
one — she was a most handsome doll. 

“She’ll do for the Principal,” said Marjorie. 
“I’ve a dress of Mrs. Bracton’s that will exactly 
fit her. It’s a dress all trimmed with jet.” 

“You’d better take her,” suggested the clerk. 



MAKING FUDGE IN THE WOLSENS’ KITCHEN 


^ I '•HIS is a picture of the Wolsen’s kitchen in 
-*■ Marjorie’s white doll house. The children 
are making fudge on the stove. The coloured 
cook, Jennie, doesn’t like it much, but Uncle Tom, 
the Wolsen’s hired man, thinks it is fun. He 
likes fudge. The Wolsen’s cat and dog are in 
the picture. (They are always in everything at 
the doll house.) Peggy Wolsen is the baby in 
the striped dress. She has to stay with Mother, 
you see. 




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PRINCIPAL AND TEACHERS 31 

“It’s an unusual value — and with that hair they 
usually cost more.” 

“Marjorie!” I remonstrated. But I agreed that 
she really was the one for a Principal 1 

“And these would do for teachers!” She held 
them up — three of them ! “One’s for French, and 
another’s for arithmetic and geography, and the 
other could be for history.” 

“Well ” 

“As long as it is going to be a small school 
three teachers would be enough.” 

You know I like dolls as well as Marjorie and 
I said the clerk might wrap them up with the little 
girl dolls and we’d let Marjorie carry them home! 

I never yet heard of buying twelve dolls all at 
once except, maybe, at Christmas time for a 
Christmas-tree! It really was jolly — wouldn’t you 
have liked to see them all? 

We had to take the car up to Marjorie’s house. 
We live near each other but Marjorie is nearer 
to the car than I so I stopped with her on my way 
home and we unwrapped the dolls and looked 
them all over. We decided to wait and begin the 
school some day when there was more time. It 


32 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

was late in the afternoon and almost tea-time now. 

“Best put the school of dolls away,” I thought. 
“We can plan about the school while you walk 
to the corner with me. Mrs. Wolsen, Mrs. Nog- 
gins and the others ought not to see or know about 
the school till it is ready and then, maybe, they 
can be persuaded to send Binkie and Tootsie 
there when the term opens.” 

“Mrs. Wolsen doesn't approve of sending 
Binkie to boarding-school.” (I knew that Mar- 
jorie had begun to “pretend” and I fell in with 
the play.) 

“Why not?” 

“Oh, she thinks home is the best place for little 
girls.” 

“Well, Mrs. Noggins does too, but she says 
Miss Littledoll’s School is unusual. Tootsie wants 
to go and she has begged so hard that I think they 
will probably let her.” 

“Maybe, if they let Binkie come home for Sat- 
urdays and Sundays, Mrs. Wolsen would con- 
sent.” 

“We'll see, Marjorie.” 



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MARJORIE’S NEW DOLLS 


^ I ■’HIS is a picture of Marjorie looking at all 
the little dolls we bought at the ten-cent 
store. She had been sewing dresses for them, 
you know. Of course, they did come dressed in 
hats and jackets, but Marjorie had to make more 
clothes. She always does. Sewing is as much 
fun as playing dolls. 


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PRINCIPAL AND TEACHERS 


33 


“When are we going to begin to play the 
school?” 

“Oh, it must be soon — as soon as I get time. 
I’ll telephone and tell you when my work is 
done.” (My work is really a kind of play. I 
write stories, you know. They really are work 
when you think of the spelling and punctuation 
but the making-them-up is play. The play-work 
keeps me very busy some days. It means a great 
deal of click-clickety-click noise on my typewriter 
till the stories are done and then, most usually, I 
celebrate by running over to play with Marjorie.) 

“Mr. Wolsen is busy with a new book,” Mar- 
jorie commented. ^‘When he starts to write, he is 
just like you. He can’t think of anything else but 
the story. I hope your story isn’t going to be very 
long this time. I do so want to begin to play 
school. I’m going to dress the teachers right 
away. I’m going to sew the clothes all myself. 

I love to sew. Mrs. Roberts gave me ever so 
many new pieces of cloth. It will be fun to dress 
the dolls, won’t it? I can do it while you are 
writing your story. Oh, you wait till you see how t 
nice they are I” 


34 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

“Of course they’ll be nice Don’t I know 

how well you sew!” 

Marjorie accepted the compliment with a 
smile. “We might name the teachers,” she said. 

“We haven’t done that yet We’re almost at 

your house!” 

“You begin, Marjorie.” 

“Which shall I name?” 

“Any one you choose.” 

“Well, I think you ought to have the Principal, 
you know ” 

“Why?” 

“Oh, because You see I wouldn’t know 

how to make her act. I could make a teacher act 
all right.” 

“Then you choose a teacher.” 

Marjorie thought. “I don’t know whether to 
choose a nice kind one or a cross one.” 

“Oh, dear!” 

“Which do you like best?” 

“Well, in school — real school — I would like a 
nice kind teacher, but just playing, I think it 
would be fun to have a cross one, don’t you?” 

I nodded. 


PRINCIPAL AND TEACHERS 35 

“Then, I want to think of a very cross name,” 
declared Marjorie. “I can't.” 

“Ann is a cross name.” 

“Not very cross! It must be a severe name.” 

“Tabitha or Jane or Sophonisba ” 

“Sophonisba Ann — whatf** 

“How about Means?” 

“All right : Sophonisba Ann Means. She is the 
one who teaches arithmetic.” 

“And I choose the Principal, Marjorie, and I 
name her Miss Glorianne Lenora Littledoll. 
The name of her school is Halcyon Hall.” 

“Then I choose a nice teacher next,” Marjorie 
decided. “I like French. I’ll have a French 
teacher but I don’t know any French names. 
You’ve got to help.” 

“Tell me a French word.” 

** *Oui is French.” 

“What else do you know? *Out won’t do all 
alone.” 

Marjorie laughed. “I’ve just commenced to 
study French. I’ve forgotten it this vacation. 
*Non means no** 


36 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


“You have it!” I exclaimed excitedly — Mile. 
Ouinon! sounds 

“Yes, that’s good. There’s still another teacher. 
She’s yours. You name her!” 

“She’ll teach English and History. I’ll call 
her just Miss Scribble. She is all kinds of Eng- 
lish teacher from spelling up to Mythology, and 
High School English. I think she has taken an 
A.B, at Vassar or Smith or Wellesley and prob- 
ably she has made special studies abroad.” 

“Maybe she writes stories the way you do?” 
Marjorie helped out. But I denied that. English 
teachers are too busy correcting compositions to 
be able to write stories. 

By this time we had almost reached my house. 
“Won’t we have fun playing when I have finished 
my work!” 

“Well, you just hurry up. Miss Literary Lady,” 
laughed Marjorie. “You hurry up with that story 
and get it finished as soon as I do the teachers’ 
dresses!” 

“I’ll try to.” 

“If you don’t. I’ll come over and drag you away 
from the typewriter, I will!” 


PRINCIPAL AND TEACHERS 


37 


I reminded her that she would always be a good 
little girl and then she put her arms around me 

and hugged me. She said she would Of 

course my Marjorie would! Nobody likes rude 
children. 

“Fm going to get up early in the morning and 
write and write and write just the way your doll 
Mr. George Abihad Wolsen writes and if I write 
and write and write and write the story will be 
soon done and we can play.” 

“It was ever so good of you to buy all those 
dolls,” smiled Marjorie. “I think it was lovely 
of you, I do!” 

“Wasn’t it fun!” 

Marjorie beamed. “You’ll remember to hurry 
up the story,” she begged. 

I nodded. I gave her a kiss and a last tag pat 
and we said good-bye. 

When she reached the corner, she turned to 
wave, “Remember to hurry up the story and finish 
quick,” she called back. 


CHAPTER THREE: GETTING DADDY 
WOLSEN’S PERMISSION 


I 


CHAPTER III 


GETTING DADDY WOLSEN'S PERMISSION 

I T isn’t so very long ago since I was a little 
girl. I have most of my old toys, beside my 
doll Edith. I have my toy furniture and 
my dinner^ and tea sets and a number of other 
things. I keep them in a store-room next to my 
study and when the children come to see me, we 
often play there, for there is plenty of space. 

I was right in the midst of my writing of the 
story when, suddenly, I thought of Marjorie’s 
little doll school. Why, if it is a boarding-school, 
it ought to be made in the toy-closet, of course! 
It wouldn’t do to have it at Marjorie’s house! 
The dolls would have to take a journey to go to 
that kind of a school ! 

I had to stop right in the midst of the click- 
clickety-clicking of my typewriter and run to the 
telephone. 

‘‘Give me 281-3, please,” I asked. 


42 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


It was Marjorie herself who answered the tele- 
phone. “I know who it is,” she cried. “It’s you! 
Have you finished the story?” 

“Dear no! It isn’t half done, child! But I 

happened to think of something Why not 

have Miss Littledoll’s School in my toy-closet?” 

“Dandy!” 

“You like the idea?” 

“I think it’s splendid. Then we can have a 
real journey and trunks and arriving and unpack- 
ing and everything!” 

“Of course, we could pretend that at your 
house, you know, but making the little dolls come 
here would make it more real, wouldn’t it?” 

“Um-hum,” Marjorie assented. 

“I’ll get out the catalog of the school as soon as 
I can,” I went on. “I’ll send one to Mrs. Wolsen 
at the dolls’ house. Are the teachers going to be 
ready for school opening soon?” 

“I fixed up the cross teacher,” replied Mar- 
jorie. “You’ll laugh when you see her! Oh, she 
is ever so cross-looking!” 

“I would like to have the teachers ready to take 
up school duties very soon, Marjorie.” 


DADDY WOLSEN’S PERMISSION 43 

"All right!" 

"You might be fixing up the school in the toy- 
closet while I am finishing my story, if you can 
dress the teachers too. You can come over any 
time. You won’t disturb me. You can use my 
toy furniture and toys." 

"Won’t that be fun!" Marjorie chuckled. "I’ll 
hurry and dress up the teachers. I was doing that 
when the telephone bell rang. I’m out on the 
porch with Mark and Dotty. Mark’s making a 
bird-house and Dotty’s playing with the cat." 

"Well, we’ll both finish our work soon — and 
then for Binkie and Tootsie! — Good-bye." 

"Good-bye." 

I hung up the receiver. It was almost too bad 
that Marjorie’s brother — her twin brother — was 
really a boy! If he hadn’t been a boy, we could 
have given him the Betty Bracton family to play 
with but boys won’t play with dolls. As for Mar- 
jorie’s little sister. Dotty, she was much too small 
yet to do anything but break them. Marjorie had 
to be very careful about the dolls’ house. 

Well, I went back to my work and I clickety- 
clickety-clicked so fast that by the end of the next 


44 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

day my story was done. I called Marjorie up 
and told her and I found out that the teachers 
were all ready to come to the school as soon as the 
school was ready for them. I had made the cata- 
log in the evening. It was a tiny-wee catalog 
and it told all about Miss Littledoll’s Very Select 
Boarding and Day School. It told what subjects 
were taught, who the teachers were, how much 
the schooling would cost, and what the little girl 
dolls were to bring with them. By the time that 
I was finished with my work and Marjorie had 
dressed the teacher dolls, Mrs. Wolsen had re- 
ceived the catalog and was talking over the school 
with Mrs. Noggins doll and Mrs. Bracton doll, 
so Marjorie said. 

I was in the toy-closet next to my study when 
Marjorie raced over. “I didn’t bring the teachers 
yet — but here’s Miss Littledoll,” she laughed. 

I wish you could have seen Miss Glorianne 
Lenora Littledoll! Her black hair was beauti- 
fully silky and she wore a jet-bespangled black 
velvet dress that had white crepe around the neck. 
Marjorie held her up to be admired. She looked 
ex-act-ly like the principal of a little girls’ board- 



MRS. NOGGINS CALLS ON MRS. WOLSEN 


ILJERE is Mrs. Noggins coming to call on 
Mrs. Wolsen in the upstairs room of the 
doll house where Mrs. Wolsen used to sew and 
play with Chuckdes. Mrs. Noggins has Tootsie 
with her and they are going to talk over Miss 
Littledoll’s Select School. Tootsie is going there 
in the fall and Binkie wants to go too. 



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DADDY WOLSEN’S PERMISSION 45 


ing and day school. You could almost hear her 
say, “Yes, my dear” or “No, my dear.” (You 
know the principals most always say that, if 
youVe observed.) 

Marjorie, of course, had never been to board- 
ing-school but she wanted to know what it was 
like and she thought we could play it and find out 
what it was like, if I helped. You see, I had been 
to boarding-school and I knew. I had told Mar- 
jorie about a good many things — funny things that 
happened. Boarding-school isn’t so different from 
day-school except that you live in a place with 
ever so many other girls and, when you aren’t in 
class, there are always ever so many little girls to 
play with. It makes things very jolly. 

Marjorie laid out the rooms of the school. The 
plan was to have a corridor, class rooms, an office 
for the principal, an assembly hall, and bedrooms 
for the pupils. We made the partitions with 
books and we used all my toy furniture and toys. 
Of course we made some things that we needed. 
I took the globe from my study bookshelf and 
put it in the class room of the cross teacher and 


46 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

then, about noontime, everything had been beau- 
tifully arranged. 

It merely remained for Mrs. Wolsen doll to 
decide to send Binkie to an out-of-town school. 
We had to go over to Marjorie’s and see about 
that. 

We found, on reaching Marjorie’s dolls’ house, 
that Mrs. Wolsen with Chuckles in her lap, was 
just welcoming Mrs. Noggins in her bedroom 
upstairs. Mrs. Noggins doll often came in in- 
formally this way. Tootsie was with her. Binkie 
was there, of course. Peggy was playing with a 
toy on the floor and Jackie was hanging around 
listening. The Wolsen’s cat and the Wolsen’s 
dog were there too. 

We began to play at once. 

I made Mrs. Noggins kiss Mrs. Wolsen and 
the baby. Chuckles. “The darling baby,” cooed 
Mrs. Noggins doll. “Isn’t he a love! I came 
over to ask you what you had decided about Miss 
Littledoll’s school, Marie.” 

“I think,” replied Mrs. Wolsen doll, “that 
Binkie’s father will have to decide the matter.” 

“Has he seen the catalog, dear?” 


DADDY WOLSEN’S PERMISSION 47 

“You know he is very busy ” 

“Oh I suppose he is writing a new story?” 

“Yes. He is in the study now.” Marjorie 
turned to me. “Shall I make him object?” she 
asked. 

“Well, he is your doll, Marjorie, you know. 
You must make him do what you think best.” 

“Then I think I’ll have him object,” Marjorie 
giggled. “You just wait!” 

Here, Binkie doll ran forward to her mother’s 
chair. “Mother, mayn’t I go to Miss Littledoll’s? 
I want to go to Miss Littledoll’s 1” 

“I’m going,” danced Tootsie doll. 

“Be still. Tootsie,” Mrs. Noggins reproved. 

“Please, Mother,” begged Binkie. “It isn’t 
necessary to bother Daddy I” 

“Run away, child,” urged Mrs. Wolsen. “Take 

Tootsie outdoors and play in the sun Jackie, 

you go too. Peggy can stay here with me. If 
you cannot be quiet, you must run away, children, 
and not bother us. Ermelinda dear, do take off 
your coat.” 

Mrs. Noggins wore a white corduroy coat that 
Marjorie had sewed. She had, too, a most stylish 


48 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

velvet hat. It is always a marvel to me how well 
Marjorie sews them. I wonder if you like to sew 
doll-clothes too? 

Mrs. Noggins doll wore a blue crepe dress 
under the cloak. It was sprigged with pink flow- 
ers — very pretty. 

“How do you like my new dress, dear?” asked 
Mrs. Noggins doll turning around before Mrs. 
Wolsen to show it off. “I bought it at Wanamak- 
er's Store — a very great bargain. It was in the 
basement. Don’t you think that the bargains in 
the basement are wonderful!” 

“I think I will buy one like it. Do tell me what 
you paid!” 

“It was four dollars ninety-eight.” 

“Dear me!” I protested. “They aren’t discuss- 
ing Binkie’s going to Miss Littledoll’s School at 
all, Marjorie!” 

“Supposing that she couldn’t go at all!” 

“Wouldn’t it be dreadful! Then I should have 
spent eighty cents on little girl dolls and forty 
cents for teachers — all for nothing ! I don’t want 
to play in the dolls’ school without Binkie!” 


DADDY WOLSEN’S PERMISSION 49 

“Supposing Daddy Wolsen wouldn’t let her 
go!” 

“I think he doesn’t care much for boarding- 
school, does he?” 

“No, he likes day-school. He says Binkie is 
too young for real boarding-school and Miss Lit- 
tledoll’s is too far away.” 

“Then Mrs. Wolsen did show him the cata- 
log?” 

“No, she just told him about it at breakfast.” 

“I wish they would stop talking about bargains 
and talk about the school ” 

Marjorie interrupted. “Shi I think they’re 
going to begin ! Listen !” 

It was Mrs. Wolsen doll that was talking. “I 
suppose, if we do decide to send Binkie to school 
that I will have to see very soon that she has new 
clothes.” 

“They dress very simply,” suggested Mrs. 
Noggins. 

“Of course, I would want Binkie to have the 
right things. The matter ought to be decided, I 
know. The trouble is that Mr. Wolsen is so busy 
with his story that he can’t be disturbed. He says 


50 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


it disturbs him to think of anything but that now.’^ 

“But it has to be decided, dear. The school is 
very small. Only a few children are admitted. 
It is a great chance! Binkie and Tootsie could 
go together — it is ideal!’’ 

“We are going to send Jackie to an academy 
this fall. It would be very lonely here in our 
dolls’ house without Binkie.” 

“You must think of what is best for Binkie,” 
Mrs. Noggins doll urged. 

“Of course, if her Daddy gives his consent, I 
will let Binkie go,” said Mrs. Wolsen doll. “The 
chief trouble is to get Mr. Wolsen to think about 
the school when he is busy writing a story.” 

“There is such wonderful home atmosphere at 
Miss Littledoll’s,” urged Mrs. Noggins. . . . 
(“Home atmosphere, Marjorie, means that every- 
body calls everybody 'dear’ and all the little girl 
dolls go by their pet names. They only call them 
‘Miss’ when they are naughty and break the 
rules.”) 

“I see.” 

“Did you know about the Letter to Parents?'' 

“No.” 



DADDY WOLSEN’S STUDY 


^ I ■’HIS is where Binkie doll interrupted her 
busy daddy to ask if he would let her go 
with Tootsie to Miss Littledoll’s School. You can 
see by the papers littered over the study table 
just how very busy Mr. Wolsen was when Binkie 
interrupted. 





DADDY WOLSEN’S PERMISSION 51 


“Well, maybe Mrs. Wolsen put it out of sight. 
She probably didn’t want Binkie or Tootsie to 
see it.” 

“What was the Letter to Parents?'* 

“It is a letter that most schools send to the 
pupils’ parents. It says that the scholars are not 
to receive boxes of food from home and that there 
are to be no spreads.” 

“What are spreads?” inquired Marjorie. “Are 
they indoor picnics that the little girl dolls have 
in their rooms?” 

I nodded. “They are ever so much fun. Some 
schools forbid them. I think, if Tootsie knew 
there were to be no spreads at Miss Littledoll’s, 
she wouldn’t want to go. Tootsie is counting on 
the fun more than on the studies. Mrs. Noggins 
is hoping that the school life will help Tootsie 
to be more studious.” 

While Marjorie and I were talking, the life in 
Marjorie’s doll house went on, I dare say, just as 
if we were listening. Mrs. Wolsen and Mrs. 
Noggins doll talked over the school and many 
other things doll-mothers would be apt to talk 
about. Marjorie and I could see them as we sat 


52 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

together on the floor beside the dolls’ house. We 
could also see the other dolls of the doll house 
busy in the other rooms. 

Marjorie’s doll house has four real rooms — a 
bedroom, a study, a dining-room and a kitchen. 
There is an attic too. It has some doll trunks in 
it. When we play in the white doll house, we 
usually pretend that there are ever so many other 
rooms. We have to. 

As it really was, now, the children — that is, 
Jackie, Tootsie, and Peggy were in the kitchen. 
They were quite a crowd in the doll kitchen. 
Marjorie supposed they were begging Jenny, the 
coloured cook, to let them make fudge. 

I said I thought so too. I thought so all the 
more when I observed that Jackie had Ted with 
him and that Uncle Tom, the hired man — he was 
a coloured man-doll — was trying to make them all 
go out of the kitchen. 

“You all clear out of here! ’Tain’t any place 
for children to be,” he asserted. “Did yo’ ma tell 
yo’ yo’ could make candy this time o’ day?” 

“No, she didn’t say we could,” replied Binkie, 
“but we want to. We won’t be in the way. 


DADDY WOLSEN’S PERMISSION 53 

Please, Jenny, do let me have some sugar and 
some butter and 

'‘Missy Binkie,^' protested Jenny, the coloured 
cook-doll. “Bless yo’ heart, dearie, but I can’t 
unless my Mrs. Wolsen, yo’ ma, say you could 
make candy!” 

Here Tootsie and Ted and Jackie and Binkie 
and Peggy dolls all protested that if Mother knew 
she would surely let them. 

“When we go to Miss Littledoll’s School,” de- 
clared Tootsie, “we can make candy all the time. 
We can make it on our chafing-dish. The girls 
have spreads and make candy at boarding-school, 
Binkie.” 

“But I don’t yet know whether I’m going!” 

“Why don’t you go and ask your Father,” sug- 
gested Ted. “He’s the one that’s going to de- 
cide it.” 

“He’s busy.” 

“I’d go ask, if I were you,” advised Jackie. 

“Would you?” 

“Yes, I would.” 

“Well, I’ll do it then. You can all wait in the 


54 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

hall We won’t make the candy till after- 

wards.” 

So they left the kitchen. 

“They are in the hall now, I suppose,” I said. 
We had to pretend there was a hall in the dolls’ 
house. There really was none, you know. 

“Yes, they’re in the hall. I think Binkie must 
know that she ought not to disturb her Daddy!” 

“He is very, very busy!” 

Yes, Daddy Wolsen doll fingers were fairly 
pounding the typewriter. He was writing a story 
th^t was going to be a long book and he was just 
in the most ex-cit-ing place. I knew exactly how 
he would feel at an interruption. Maybe, he 
wouldn’t even hear the knock! 

Well, Binkie went up the pretend stairs while 
the others waited. Halfway up, she paused. She 
began to remember that nobody ever disturbed 
Daddy when he was at work. Mother could go 
into the study but nobody else. 

“Go on — hurry up,” urged Jackie and Ted. 

“It’ll all be over soon,” said Tootsie. 

Binkie went up a few more steps. 


DADDY WOLSEN’S PERMISSION 55 

She came to the study door. She knocked very 
softly. 

Clickety-clickety-click, click, click, clickety- 
clickety-click. Mr. Wolsen doll was so busy and 
there was so much noise in the doll house study 
that he didn’t hear the knock at all. He was very, 
very busy. 

Binkie knocked again. 

No answer. 

Binkie went to the head of the stairs. “Daddy 
doesn’t hear,” she called softly. “I can’t make him 
answer!” 

“Oh, go ahead!” Jackie insisted. “Knock 
again! If you don’t, I will. Daddy won’t mind. 
It is only a minute. He can go right on again 
after he has answered.” 

(I looked at Marjorie and Marjorie looked at 
me. We knew that this was naughty. Neither 
Jackie or Binkie should disturb Daddy Wolsen 
while at work. Tootsie and Ted knew it too. We 
wondered if they would be punished afterwards. 
The whole crowd would need it.) 

We watched Binkie. She went back to the door 
and knocked again, louder. 


56 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

No answer. Clickety-clickety-cHckety-cIick! 

Binkie knocked harder. 

No answer. Clickety-cHckety-clickety-clickI 

Binkie came to the head of the stairs again. ‘‘I 
think I won’t disturb him,” she feebly asserted. 

“Then Fll go,” and Jackie rushed up the stairs 
— he didn’t mean to do it as he said. He meant to 
make Binkie do it. Binkie was a good little girl 
doll. 

Well, Binkie rushed right by him, of course. 

She didn’t knock at the study door Oh, bad 

Binkie! She went right in with a bounce and 
stood beside Mr. Wolsen doll’s busy study table 
where the click of the typewriter stopped suddenly 
and Daddy Wolsen looked up. 

His face was vexed. 

“Daddy!” 

“Yes, child.” Clickety-clickety-click-clickety- 

click-clickety-click He was busy at work 

again ignoring Binkie entirely. 

*'Daddy dear!” 

“Yes,” returned Daddy Wolsen absently click- 
ing away. “Yes, go on. What is it?” 


DADDY WOLSEN’S PERMISSION 57 

‘‘May I have anything I want? You always 
said you wanted me to be happy.” 

“Well ” clickety - clickety - click - clickety - 

click. 

“May I have anything I want?” 

“Oh, yes, child I But run away. If you’ll only 
run away you can have anything you want!” 

But Binkie hesitated. 

Daddy Wolsen doll put his hand into his pocket. 
He thought Binkie wanted some spending money. 

“I don’t want that,” Binkie explained. “I want 
to know if you’ll let me go to boarding-school with 
Tootsie Noggins this fall. It’s a splendid school. 
I’ll study ever so hard and be a splendid credit to 
the family, if you will let me.” 

Mr. Wolsen doll laughed. 

“I wish my little girl hadn’t interrupted me at 
work,” he reproved. “I think it might be a good 
thing for her to go away to school and learn dis- 
cipline.” 

Binkie hung her head. 

“I just had to know. Father!” 

“Well, don’t do it again, Binkie. Give me a 
kiss. If your Mother thinks best, you can go.” 


58 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

“Hooray!"' cried Binkie, bursting out of the 
study door into the crowd waiting. “Mother ap- 
proves. Fm going ! Oh, Fm going to Miss Little- 
doll’s School!’" 


CHAPTER FOUR: THE ARRIVAL 




CHAPTER IV 


THE ARRIVAL 

W HAT a funny way to decide it/’ laughed 
Marjorie. “Fm so glad Binkie can 
go, aren’t you?” 

“There really couldn’t be any fun for us to play 
Miss Littledoll’s School, if Binkie wasnt going to 
go I You’ll have to sew her clothes as well as those 
of the teachers I The school ought to open next 
week.” 

“Next week! It won’t take me a whole week 
to make the doll clothes. I can finish them to-day, 
maybe, if I hurry I” 

“I mean a play-week,” I explained. “We’ll pre- 
tend that it is as long as that. When you have 
finished dressing the teachers, bring them over. I 
think they ought to be in the school before the little 
girls arrive. I have no doubt that there are matters 
Miss Littledoll would like to talk over with them.” 
“Very well,” Marjorie assented. And then I 

6l 


62 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

left her. I wanted ever so much to see what the 
teachers would be like but I couldn’t play any 
more that day. The last I saw of Marjorie was 
suggestive of a zeal for sewing for she waved her 
blue bag of materials at me as I went down the 
street. The pieces Mrs. Roberts had given her for 
sewing must have been in it. I had heard about 
them and seen some of them. The pieces had come 
exactly at the right time to make the costumes for 
the teachers and the little dolls, I thought. 

Marjorie is really a dabster at sewing. I often 
marvel at how she does things. She can take a 
piece of cloth and cut it out in a shape that is made 
with a snip of her scissors — and then with some 
thread and a needle the whole will turn out a little 
doll’s hat or cloak — maybe a dress. And Mar- 
jorie always consults the style books. I need only 
ask what the latest thing is and Marjorie can tell 
me whether I am or am not dressed in style. Of 
course, Miss Littledoll’s School, being what you 
call a select school, was to be rather well dressed. 

It was next day that Marjorie brought the 
teacher dolls over. I wish you could have seen 
them. They were wonderfully well done. We 


THE ARRIVAL 


63 


liked the cross teacher, Miss Means, ever so much. 
She wore a plain brown dress with a queer kind 
of coat. Her hair was worn flat and not a bit 
crimpy and on it there was a queer plum-coloured 
velvet hat. 

Miss Scribble, the Literature and History 
teacher, was arrayed in a simple grey suit. Her 
black shiny china hair was parted in the middle. 
She had a sailor-shaped hat. The hat was wonder- 
ful — really wonderful! You couldn’t have 
guessed how Marjorie made it. (If you’ll keep it 
a secret. I’ll tell you. It was a woven straw stopple 
of a bottle! But you never would have dreamed 
it!) 

Mile. Ouinon, being French, was arrayed in the 
height of the mode. She had real style — chic! 
Her hair was quite crimpy and done in a knot with 
pins. She had blue eyes and there were blue flow- 
ers on her toque that exactly matched them. 

Yes, the teachers were a huge success! 

“Binkie’s clothes aren’t quite ready yet but they 
will be soon,” said Marjorie. ‘T’m making her a 
perfectly lovely middy-dress. School girls always 
wear them, you know. 1 have one.” 


64 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


We pretended that the teachers had arrived 
properly at the Littledoll station and had met 
Miss Littledoll and been conducted to their 
rooms. 

I confess, the rooms did seem rather bare — but 
school bedrooms always look that way before they 
have been fixed up with couch-covers and pictures 
and plants and banners. 1 said so and I ought to 
know because I have actually been to boarding- 
school. 

Late that afternoon I heard some interesting 
sounds in the toy-closet that is my store-room next 
the study. I thought I had heard Marjorie come 
in and run up the back stairs. She came and went 
as she chose now. If she heard the click of the 
typewriter, she never knocked at my door. There 
had been plenty to do to fix up the school on the 
floor of the toy-closet. Maybe she was putting 
some finishing touches to the arrangement of ta- 
bles and chairs. Maybe — maybe, some of the little 
girl dolls had arrived! I wondered, might it be 
Tootsie and Binkie? I had to go and see 1 

“Hello!’’ I greeted, poking my head through 



OFF FOR SCHOOL 


"LJERE are all the Wolsen and Noggins and 
Bracton children running for the train that 
is to take them to the junction. Betty Bracton 
with her father and Mrs. Noggins are ahead. 
Tootsie is trying to keep up with Jackie behind 
them. Ted is running after Jackie. Binkie is 
with Daddy Wolsen and sister Peggy. Daddy 
Wolsen, you see, went off without a hat. Uncle 
Tom is carrying Binkie’s suitcase. 




THE ARRIVAL 


65 


the door of the toy-closet. ‘‘Want me to come and 
play for a while?” 

Marjorie beamed. “See ” she said. “There 

they are! TheyVe all come. They nearly lost 
their train.” 

Sure enough! In the hall of the little dolls’ 
school stood Miss Littledoll herself all in black 
velvet with shining jet trimming and her hair done 
up, “just so” on the top of her head. It was black 
and shining like the jet trimming of the velvet 
dress. Around her in a circle were all the little 
dolls, Rosalinda Clara Smith and Penelope Jukes 
and Dotty Dawson and Binkie Wolsen and Toot- 
sie Noggins and Laura Brown and Phoebe Snow 
and Jane James and Annette Allison and Kathleen 
Diana Deborah Finch. 

There were little doll trunks and boxes and 
hand-bags and dress-suit cases and baskets all 
around in the hall. The children had not yet been 
to their rooms. They had arrived at this very 
minute, I suppose, when I popped my head into 
the toy-closet where Marjorie was sitting on the 
floor playing. 

Some of the little dolls appeared to be home- 


66 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


sick already. I thought Tootsie seemed pretty 
quiet for her and Binkie Wolsen seemed a bit 
weepy — you see she had said good-bye to Jackie 
at the Junction. He and Ted were at a boys' 
academy not far from there. 

“My dears," suggested Miss Littledoll, and her 
voice was like the soft purr of a contented pussy- 
cat, “you will all be happy here in your new home, 
I hope. If you are good, you will always be happy. 
Now, if you will leave your bags in the hall and go 
into Room A., Mademoiselle Ouinon will give 
you your numbers. You have to draw for your 
rooms, dears!" 

Then Tootsie and Binkie weren’t going to be 
able to room together ! Good-bye to all the plans 
they had formed at home in the white doll house at 
Marjorie’s! 

It was exciting for we didn’t know who would 
room with whom! All the little girl dolls were 
excited too. They couldn’t wait to get their num- 
bers. 

“Maybe Binkie will have to room with Jane 
James," I suggested. “Wouldn’t that be sad!" 
For of all the little dolls, Jane James was most un- 


THE ARRIVAL 


67 


attractive. She had a snub nose and a cross-eyed 
expression. She wore a blue tam-o’-shanter. 

“The rooms are assigned by lot, Marjorie. All 
the little girl dolls have numbers given them and 
these are the numbers of their rooms. When they 
go to the rooms, the room-mates are there. (Fm 
not sure that all schools do it this way but Miss 
Littledoll’s Select School does.)” 

We made Mile. Ouinon distribute the numbers 
in Class Room A. Binkie examined hers. It was 
number Seven, She asked Tootsie what hers was. 
It was number Three — so, of course, that meant 
that they couldn’t be room-mates ! And that was 
one of the things they had so wanted when, at 
home, they planned the good times they were go- 
ing to have at Miss Littledoll’s ! 

Binkie, with Tootsie, hunted up her room. It 
had two little beds, two chairs, and two tables 
exactly alike. It seemed very unlike her own room 
in the white doll house at Marjorie’s. And there 
was the room-mate waiting — she was dressed in an 
odd way and wore a tam-o’-shanter. 

“Are you the girl I’m going to room with?” 


68 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


Binkie asked. Oh, she hoped the other girl would 
say, No! 

“My number is the number of this room,” an- 
swered the other. (She had a squeaky voice.) 

“Then we must be room-mates,” Binkie smiled, 
willing to make the best of it. “My name is Binkie 
Wolsen.” 

“Mine is Jane James,” returned the other little 
girl doll. “I choose this bed and table and chair. 
I was here first.” (She had taken the best there 
was!) 

Binkie had been brought up to think of the 
rights of others. So had Tootsie. Tootsie didn’t 
hesitate to say, “Well, you better ask Miss Little- 
doll about that, Binkie.” Tootsie thought all the 
best things should be divided evenly. Binkie’s bed 
had a mussed cover on it; Binkie’s table was all 
scratched up; Binkie’s chair had a wobbly leg. 
And Binkie had the part of the room that wasn’t 
near the window ! 

“You can ask Miss Littledoll, if you like,” said 
Jane James. 

“Oh, no!” Binkie replied. “It won’t be at all 
necessary. You were here first and you have a 



THE LITTLE DOLLS AT HALCYON HALL 


ly/TISS LITTLEDOLL is welcoming all the 
little girls to Halcyon Hall. They are 
standing in the main hall and the expressman 
has left their trunks and bags there. Penelope 
Jukes is standing behind Binkie and Tootsie. 




THE ARRIVAL 


69 


right to choose.” Then she put her arm around 
Tootsie and they went o£f to find Tootsie’s room 
and Tootsie’s room-mate. 

They hunted for room Number Three and 
found it. It was on another floor below Binkie’s. 
There was nobody in it when they came in so they 
sat down to wait for the room-mate. Tootsie said 
she’d be sure to come because everybody was hunt- 
ing rooms now. 

Then the door opened and in walked a little girl 
doll with a bag. She wore a white coat and hat. 
Both were trimmed with pink. “Hello!” she 
greeted. ** Which of you belongs to me?” 

“I do,” Tootsie said. 

“Then I’m going to hug you right away,” the 
little girl doll answered. (She was as good as her 
word.) “My name’s Rosalinda Clara Smith,” she 
rattled on. “You can call me Pinkie, if you like — 
everybody does at home and I like it. They call 
me that because I like pink so much, you know. 
I have a pink room and I always like to wear pink. 
Even my little dog wears a pink ribbon all the 
time. I had to leave him at home but they prom- 
ised faithfully to let me know every day exactly 


70 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

how he was. You know Miss Littledoll doesn’t 
like the girls to use nicknames but you needn’t call 
me Pinkie before her. It will seem more like be- 
ing at home if you begin by calling me Pinkie. 
Isn’t it forlorn in this room? Let’s move the beds 
up close together so we can talk at night and be 
sociable Who’s your friend?” 

Tootsie introduced Binkie. 

“Oh, I hope you’ll call me Pinkie too,” the little 
Rosalinda Clara Smith urged. “Where do you 
two live? I live in Dolly ville. I don’t suppose 
you ever went there or heard of it but we think it’s 
the only place that ever was! My Dad is afraid 
I’m getting too spoiled so he sent me to Miss Little- 
doll’s.” 

“We come from Playtown, the suburb of Play 
City,” said Binkie. “That isn’t very far from 
Dollyville.” 

But, right here, into the room walked Miss Lit- 
tledoll. She was followed by Jane James. 

“We are looking for the other little girl doll who 
drew number Seven,” announced Miss Littledoll. 
“Jane said it was Binkie Wolsen. There was a 
mistake for three names have been given that same 


THE ARRIVAL 


71 


number. Mile. Ouinon wants you to draw again, 
Binkie dear.” 

“I don’t care who I have for a room-mate,” they 
heard Jane James say to Miss Littledoll, aside. 
“This one came to the room first. WeVe already 
chosen our beds and tables and chairs. Fd as lieve 
keep this one.” 

What Miss Littledoll answered, neither Mar- 
jorie or I heard. We were anxious to find out what 
Mile. Ouinon’s new number would be. All three 
of the girls would choose again, probably. Jane 
James might not be Binkie’s room-mate! 

Tootsie and Binkie found Mile. Ouinon in 
Class Room A. They explained. Then Miss 
Littledoll came in with Jane James. There were 
a number of girls in the room. And Mile. Ouinon, 
after talking excitedly with Miss Littledoll a mo- 
ment spoke, “Zere has been a mistake, I find. Ze 
three girls zat have ze number all alike — I mean 
ze number of Number Seven room, please to come 
here.” 

Binkie, Jane James and a dark-haired little girl 
doll with a blue dress and sailor collar stepped for- 
ward. Jane James drew first She pushed 


72 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

herself before both the others she was so rude. She 
looked at the number. “It’s not fair,” she de- 
clared. was in that room first and my things are 
in the bureau drawer already. I can’t move now. 
I chose the bed and table and the chair next to the 
window.” 

What a joke! She had drawn another room I 

Well, it was Binkie’s turn next. She and the 
little girl doll in a blue sailor suit matched their 
numbers. They laughed. They were both glad 
not to get Jane James for a room-mate. “I wonder 
who’s going to have her!” mused Tootsie. 

Jane James was still fussing about the bureau 
drawer and the bed and the table and the chair. 
She walked off with a little girl doll they called 
Laura Brown — poor Laura! Their room was 
Number Five. 

“My name is Penelope Jukes,” Binkie’s room- 
mate explained. “I know you are Binkie Wolsen 
because somebody told me. I’m ever so glad we 
are going to room together, aren’t you? I should 
have hated to room with Jane James 1” 

“So should 1.” 

“Do you know, I asked her to lend me two cents 



BINKIE’S ROOM AT SCHOOL 


TN this picture, you see Binkie Wolsen’s room 
as it looked before it was “fixed up.” Miss 
Littledoll is there with Jane James. Tootsie is 
waiting in the background. She has not yet seen 
her room or her room-mate. She feels a little 
homesick. 


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THE ARRIVAL 


78 


to buy a postage stamp — because I didn’t have my 
purse. She wouldn’t do it. I hope you’ll lend me 
things, will you? I don’t like girls that don’t lend 
their things. You can borrow any of mine that 
you like any time I” 

“Thank you,” said Binkie. 

And then because there was nothing more to do 
that day but get settled and unpacked, I decided 
to go back to the work I had left in my study. 
Marjorie remained at Miss Littledoll’s to see what 
happened when Binkie and Penelope Jukes “fixed 
up” their room. All the little girl dolls were fix- 
ing up their rooms. I should have liked to stay 
and see the fun. They weren’t allowed to put 
thumbtacks in the wall; they weren’t allowed to 
tear up the carpet that was provided ; they had to 
keep the couch and the rug that was in the room 
but there was a great deal of excitement about how 
pictures should be hung and whose couch-cover 
was the one to use; and whether a Yale banner 
should go beside one of Harvard’s; and who 
should have the desk next to the window and the 
bed with the better blankets. Trunks and boxes 


74 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

kept coming. Stepladders were in demand. I 
wished I were with Marjorie playing in the toy- 
closet with Miss Littledoll’s School on the day be- 
fore school-opening I 


CHAPTER FIVE: THE OPENING DAY 



J 


CHAPTER V 


THE OPENING DAY 

A ll the little girl dolls at Halcyon Hall 
had finished arranging their rooms when 
Marjorie and I went to the school to play 
next day. I found that Tootsie and Pinkie — I 
suppose I ought to call her Rosalinda Clara 
Smith — had a very cosy, home-like study. Their 
beds were covered to look like couches and both 
had rented fancy desks. They had two tables 
beside. Pinkie had bought a scrapbasket and a 
rocking chair and Tootsie had written home to 
ask Mother Noggins if she could have the old 
screen that was in the studio. 

Binkie’s room already had a screen. It must 
have been left by a pupil who used the room last 
year. In Binkie’s room Penelope Jukes had hung 
a Syracuse University banner and they also had 
a Votes for Women poster. (In all the little girl 
dolls’ rooms posters and banners were in great 

77 


78 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

demand. The banners didn’t mean that they had 
brothers at the colleges — but they were bought 
at a store, most usually — Marjorie and I didn’t 
know exactly why they liked banners so much, 
unless it was because everybody thought they 
ought to like them. 

There were no little girl dolls in the school 
bedrooms when Marjorie and I began play in 
the toy-room that day. They had all gone to the 
Assembly Hall and sat in rows facing a platform 
on which the teachers were arranged. 

There was a piano on the platform. The 
teacher-pupil played it. She was a kind of 
student, but some of the girls like Betty Bracton, 
who had been a year at Miss Littledoll’s before 
this, knew her and said she helped Miss Scribble 
correct compositions and was a regular freak in 
English work. She was studying music, too, and 
gave some of the pupils music lessons. 

In front of the row of teachers there was a 
chair and table for Miss Littledoll. Usually, I 
think, she stood when she talked to the girls. 
This morning she gave the school a very long 
and earnest address. 


THE OPENING DAY 


79 


“My dear children/’ said Miss Littledoll, “you 
have come, some of you, a long, long way to 
this beautiful school that is to be your home. I 
hope you will be happy. If you are good you 
will always be happy, remember! You have left 
behind you your pleasant homes with your dear 
friends and families. They all want you to be 
good and have great hopes of your being good 
students.” 

(Here I whispered to Marjorie to look at 
Tootsie.) Tootsie was homesick. She was using 
her hanky. I suppose the mention of home and 
families made her. All the other little girl dolls — 
Dotty Dawson and Binkie and Laura Brown and 
even Pinkie seemed affected. Jane James wasn’t 
and, no doubt, Betty Bracton had heard the same 
kind of talk before, so they weren’t crying. 

I don’t believe Marjorie or I heard all of Miss 
Littledoll’s morning talk. Maybe some of the 
little girl dolls didn’t either, for I saw some of 
them watching the teachers on the platform as 
the talk went on and on. They stopped crying 
— that is, some of them. 

I don’t know how it was that the teachers could 


80 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


sit so straight and solemn. First there came the 
cross teacher, Miss Sophonisba Ann Means. She 
wore goggles and was next to the piano. {She 
sat up beautifully straight!) 

Then there was Miss Scribble, A.B. Next her 
sat Mile. Ouinon. The Art and Drawing pro- 
fessor was at the end of the row. He came to 
the school only twice a week, but on the first day 
of school and when there was anything very 
special, Marjorie explained, he came to sit on 
the platform. I suppose it was like having a 
Trustee — putting him there made the special 
Assembly Meeting quite important. Having him 
there made the number of teachers larger, too. 
(I told Marjorie that 1 thought he looked re- 
mark-a-bly like Mr. Bracton doll that we played 
with at Marjorie’s in the white doll house. Mar- 
jorie said, “Well, yes, the likeness was strong — 
maybe they were re-la-ted.” You see we had to 
pretend that Mr. Bracton was another doll — just 
for fun!) 

After we had carefully examined the teachers, 
we began to watch Miss Littledoll again. The 
talk was going on and on. There was always 



THE ASSEMBLY HALL PLATFORM 


'Y' OU can see the pupil-teacher at the piano. 

You can see Miss Littledoll addressing the 
school. Her table and chair are in front of the 
row of teacher dolls. There is always a plant 
on the table, a book, and a small clock. Back 
of the principal is the cross teacher with goggles. 
Next her is Miss Scribble. Then comes Mile. 
Ouinon and the teacher of Art. 




THE OPENING DAY 


81 


a long talk on the first day of the schooPs open- 
ing, Betty Bracton whispered to her new room- 
mate, Phoebe Snow. Miss Littledoll was really 
handsome. It was interesting to look at her. 
Her black hair was done just so — oh, frightfully 
neat! It had bright places in it that shone and 
matched the jet trimming of her wonderful black 
velvet dress. I am sure that all the little girl 
dolls must have admired her and inwardly hoped 
that when they grew up they would be as perfect 
and as handsome. 

“Yes, my dears,’' Miss Littledoll went on, “this 
day will be a great day in your lives when you 
look back at it twenty years from now. You 
will remember my saying that If you are good, 
you will be happy, and you will remember that 
you resolved to be good and so be happy. 

“Being good means that you must study your 
lessons as well as you can. Being good means 
that you must keep the rules of the school. Being 
good means eating what is set before you at the 
school dining-table and not writing home that 

the food is bad ” (Here I saw Tootsie turn 

around in her chair and wink at Binkie Wolsen. 


82 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

Binkie was looking at Miss Littledoll earnestly. 
She didn’t see Tootsie’s wink.) It was Betty 
Bracton who caught Tootsie’s wink and returned 
it. But Tootsie at once looked very good and 
began to pay attention beautifully. I knew she 
didn’t mean to be a bit disrespectful to Miss 
Littledoll, but I knew that Miss Means must 
have seen it and that Tootsie would be called to 
account later on. 

‘‘Being good means that you don’t turn around 
in your chair and wink at another pupil when the 
Principal is addressing the Assembly,” went on 
Miss Littledoll. (Oh my! I guess Tootsie must 
have felt small after that!) Miss Littledoll’s eyes 
were squarely looking at her. She wiggled un- 
comfortably and looked into her lap. Then, all 
of a sudden, overcome with the mortification, she 
rose from her seat and walked out boo-hooing! 
“Boo-hoo-hoo! Boo-hoo!” 

She walked right out of the Assembly Hall! 
Fancy! Wasn’t that dreadful? Imagine it! On 
the first day of school! Boo-hoo! 

This made great excitement. All the little girl 
dolls began to turn around in their seats and 


THE OPENING DAY 


83 


look to see if anybody from the row of teachers 
would get up and follow Tootsie and Binkie. 
(Binkie had hopped right up and gone after 
Tootsie when she heard her crying. Binkie was 
nothing if not loyal!) 

It was Miss Sophonisba Ann Means who arose, 
of course. Whenever there was a case of real 
discipline the scolding was given her to do. 

She followed Tootsie and Binkie out into the 
corridor. Binkie had her arms around Tootsie 
when Miss Means opened the Assembly Hall 
door and swept out into the corridor after them. 

‘Tt is against the rules to leave the Assembly 
Hall without permission, young ladies,’' snapped 
the cross teacher. *'Why are you here?” 

“Because Tootsie was crying and I came to 
see if I could comfort her,” replied Binkie. 

“Boo-hoo,” said Tootsie. 

“It is very weak-minded to cry,” Miss Means 
went on. “Of course I know that you have cause 
to be ashamed of what you did. No young lady 
who is well-bred will turn around in her chair 
and wink at another young lady when Miss 


84 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


Littledoll, the Principal of a select school, is 
talking. You are ashamed of yourself I” 

‘‘Boo-hoo-hoo-hoo.’’ 

“I hope you will never again do such an im- 
po-lite thing, young ladies.’' (She included 
Binkie, you see. Poor Binkie!) will take 
ten demerits from your reports, both of you. You 
may report to Miss Littledoll after school session. 
Now, go right back into Assembly Hall to your 
seats.” 

“Boo-hool I-I-I — I can’t!” sobbed Tootsie. 

“Can’t,” echoed Miss Means. “Go right along 
at once! ” 

But right here the big door of the little doll 
Assembly Hall swung open and everybody 
flocked out! Tootsie was saved for the time 
being. She was immediately surrounded with 
girls. Miss Means disappeared into Class 
Room B. 

“What did she say to you?” they all demanded. 

“Boo-hoo! She — said — I — was Boo-hoo!” 

Tootsie gave way to more sobs. 

*Whatr 

“Weak-minded!” 


THE OPENING DAY 


85 


‘‘She always says that, if you cry,” declared 
Betty Bracton. “Cheer up! Miss Littledoll is 
always nice when you report to her. She never 
says anything but Be good and youll be happy 

“But it’s a dis-gracel” 

“You didn’t mean it. You can tell her sol” 

Here the gong sounded for classes and the 
crowd broke up. Tootsie and Binkie consulted 
their schedules. Both had arithmetic — worse 
luck, Miss Means again! They filed into Room 
B quietly. Tootsie’s eyes were red, but she was 
herself again. 

It was just Tootsie’s luck to begin with her 
weakest subject, arithmetic, of course. There 
were only five in the class, so that everybody 
would have a good chance to recite. At Miss 
Littledoll’s School they believed in having small 
classes. They called it in the catalog giving 
the pupils “personal attention.” 

It was natural that Miss Means, finding Tootsie 
in the class, should at once begin by asking her 
to recite. 

“Tootsie Noggins,” she said, as soon as the 
class began, “we will begin with some mental 


86 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

arithmetic and you may rise and tell me, ‘If a 
man walked one mile one day and two miles the 
next day, and a friend of his set out and walked 
two miles one day and one mile next day, what 
would the difference be?' " 

“That Sounds very hard," I commented aside 
to Marjorie. “Do you think you could do a 
problem like that if you were a little girl doll?" 

We smiled. Tootsie doll, however, rose from 
her seat in the class, looked at the cross teacher 
of Miss LittledolFs School and hesitated. “I 
don’t know," she replied. “It would depend 
upon the direction each was going." 

Everybody laughed. Miss Means, the cross 
teacher, frowned. “You may sit," she com- 
manded. “Betty Bracton, give me the answer." 

Betty Bracton arose and looked at the ceiling 
for inspiration. No reply came. The class 
waited. 

“You may come here and stand beside the desk 
till you have solved the problem, Betty Bracton," 
Miss Means decided. “Stand right there by the 
globe and face the class. We will take up another 
problem. Binkie Wolsen, ‘If ten men worked 



LESSONS IN CLASSROOM B 


"V/flSS MEANS, the cross teacher, is shaking 
her ruler at Binkie Wolsen who is trying 
to recite. Binkie is really trying to think. She 
is disturbed by Betty Bracton’s crying into her 
hanky. (You see, Betty Bracton has to stand by 
the table till she can give the right answer to 
the mental arithmetic problem. Miss Means is 
keeping her there to make her ashamed.) 




THE OPENING DAY 


87 


on a railroad eight hours a day for one hundred 
and twenty-three and three-quarters hours, doing 
six feet two in three-quarters minutes, how long 
would the line of railroad that they made be?’ ” 

Binkie rose. She, too, was very weak in mental 
arithmetic and she got no further than the re- 
peated problem. Betty Bracton, standing beside 
teacher’s desk, was openly sniffing. It was all a 
very mournful and cross class that seemed quite 
stupid. Miss Means rapped with her ruler. “I 
think,” she said, “we have had enough failures. 
We will, however, go right around the class. The 
next may rise.” 

The next rose. It was Jane James. She 
couldn’t do mental arithmetic. 

Neither could Penelope Jukes. 

Neither could Annette Allison. 

Miss Means walked the floor. “It is a dis- 
grace! Nobody here can do mental arithmetic,” 
she fumed. “We will begin and drill every day 
as if we were a primer class and I hope you will 
all be ashamed of yourselves!” Then as a long 
half hour of mental arithmetic passed and every- 
body still failed to know anything, and as Betty 


88 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

Bracton still stood by the globe and couldn’t 
answer her problem, Miss Means told them what 
she thought of them and gave them oral drill in 
multiplication and subtraction of fractions. Oh, 
it was dreadful! The class was grateful to hear 
the gong that announced a change of subject. 
Binkie and Tootsie then went to Mile. Ouinon, 
whom they liked — Oh, you couldn’t help but like 
her! As for Miss Scribble she found that Binkie 
had a good deal of literary talent and both Tootsie 
and Binkie liked her. 

The day was a very busy one. At its close the 
little dolls were laden with school books and 
lessons enough to keep them busy all the 
evening study-hour. At Miss Littledoll’s School 
there was a study-hour from eight to nine. At 
nine the little girl dolls were all supposed to go 
to bed. Lights had to be out at half-past nine. 
The teachers came around to see if the lights 
were out: one week Miss Means would come; 
another week. Mile. Ouinon ; another week. Miss 
Scribble, so Betty Bracton explained. 

Marjorie didn’t want to leave the little doll 
school after the lesson session. But it was lunch 


THE OPENING DAY 


89 


time for us both and we had to stop. Marjorie 
said she wanted to know what the little girl dolls 
would do in recess time. 

“My but Fm glad Fm not in Miss Means' 
class, Marjorie!" I laughed, at parting. (Oh, 
but the school books ! They were the cunningest 
ever 1 Marjorie had made them from bits of card- 
board pasted together. They were of uniform 
size — simply wonderfully made, exactly like 
books and it didn't take much imagination to 
pretend they were quite real. I dare say Binkie 
and Tootsie found them real enough.) 





CHAPTER SIX; THE HALCYON 
HALL BASKET BALL TEAM 



CHAPTER VI 


THE HALCYON HALL BASKET BALL TEAM 

I N the days that passed by in play with Miss 
Littledoirs School, Marjorie and I often 
wondered what was going on in the white 
doll house. Like Binkie and Tootsie, we wanted 
to see Mother Wolsen and Mother Noggins and 
both daddies. We also wanted to know how the 
baby. Chuckles, was after getting a new tooth. 
So, one afternoon, we went back to the white 
doll house that was Binkie’s home. 

As usual. Daddy Wolsen was in the study. But 
we found, upon looking, that he was not writing 
a story on his typewriter. It was a letter with a 
heading that began, “My own dear little Binkie 
Doll Daughter.” 

Mrs. Wolsen and Chuckles hadn't changed 
much — except that Marjorie thought Chuckles 
had grown a bit. It seemed quite lifeless and 

93 


94 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

uneventful without the children that belonged to 
the Wolsen home. 

“How long is it to vacation?” I asked. 

“Oh, there isn’t any till Thanksgiving!” 

“What a long time for Mrs. Wolsen and Mr. 
Wolsen and Binkie and Jackie to wait!” 

“Yes, they miss the children very much and 
Mrs. Wolsen thinks, from Binkie’s letters, that 
she is homesick. She would like to send Binkie 
a box of goodies from home, but, you remember. 
Miss Littledoll doesn’t permit that.” 

I sighed. We could both understand how hard 
it was both for the children at school and the 
parents at home. We hoped that Binkie was still 
doing well at Miss Littledoll’s. Mrs. Wolsen, so 
Marjorie said, didn’t quite like Binkie’s room- 
mate, Penelope Jukes, you know. She thought 
Binkie would have been happier with her old 
friend. Tootsie Noggins, and she had written 
urging Miss Littledoll to change her. Binkie 
wrote that Penelope was always borrowing. She 
said she had to hide all her things because Penel- 
ope would borrow : she wore Binkie’s new middy 
and she wore Binkie’s slippers. She borrowed — 


HALCYON HALL BASKET BALL TEAM 95 


yes, my dear ! She even — don’t tell about it — bor- 
rowed Binkie’s toothbrush! Binkie was furious 
about that and wrote right home to Mother to 
please send enough extra spending money to buy 
a new one, for she, of course, didn’t have any 
spending money left. Penelope had borrowed a 
good share of it. Mrs. Wolsen felt that Miss 
Littledoll would — she must give Binkie a better 
room-mate. Yet, Binkie seemed to like Penelope 
and they got on well together. 

Marjorie and I thought that Binkie Wolsen 
was much too obliging to Penelope. She ought 
to have been up and down. She ought to have 
said, “No, dear, you can’t wear my middy-blouse 
all the whole time — You can’t!” 

“Borrowing is a bad habit at boarding school, 
Marjorie,” I explained. “There are always girls 
who borrow, and I suppose at boys’ schools it 
is the same way. I should hate to be a borrower, 
wouldn’t you?” 

“I think it is dreadful,” replied Marjorie. 
“Some of the children at Miss Littledoll’s borrow 
suitcases or bags when they go off on a week-end 
visit. Last time Phoebe Snow spent Sunday with 


96 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


her Aunt she wore Annette Allison’s silk stock- 
ings, Kathleen Diana Deborah Finch’s shoes — 
her best high lace shoes ; she had Dotty Dawson’s 
one-piece second-best dress and Binkie Wolsen’s 
cloak. Penelope Jukes gave her a pocket hand- 
kerchief to carry. Betty Bracton let her take her 
gloves and she carried Tootsie Noggins’ purse.” 

Tootsie and Betty have been brought up to be 
ashamed to borrow, but some of the other little 
dolls at the school had not been as carefully 
trained at home. It did seem a pity! 

We sat beside the white doll house together 
while Daddy Wolsen finished his letter to Binkie, 
urging her never to borrow of any little girl 
doll at the school — except perhaps a pencil, he 
said. He enclosed a check of spending money 
and told Binkie not to give any more to Penelope 
Jukes. He said he hoped he could arrange later 
to have his little daughter go to room with Tootsie 
Noggins — he was sure Tootsie had been brought 
up to respect the rights of others. 

I think, after he had sealed this letter, he wrote 
another to the Principal of Halcyon Hall, but 
Marjorie and I couldn’t wait to see. It was, by 



THE LITTLE GIRL DOLLS GOING TO CLASS 


OINKIE is dragging the toy cart with the doll. 
^ That was what she had to do after Tootsie 
Noggins rapped her on the shoulder and said, 
“Come with me !” It was the beginning of the 
Secret Society initiation before Miss Littledoll 
stopped it. 




HALCYON HALL BASKET BALL TEAM 97 

this time, too late in the afternoon. I had to do 
an errand downtown and I took Marjorie with 
me. But we left the white doll house with the 
conviction that it was very lonely there without 
the Wolsen’s doll children. 

It was on this same walk down town that 
Marjorie and I again went into our ten-cent 
store and there we found the very thing for the 
basket-ball team of Halcyon Hall. It was a little 
ball! Of course, there was to be a basket-ball 
team at the school, but I suppose the bloomer 
suits for play hadn’t come yet, so the ball, too, 
hadn’t. Anyhow, Marjorie determined to start 
the little dolls in the way they should go on the 
very next day that she came to the toy-closet to 
play with me. We thought the suits should be 
made of some of Mrs. Roberts’ pieces of thin 
blue flannel and have white felt letters pasted on 
them, H, standing for Halcyon Hall. 

We thought, too, that the little girl dolls should 
have a class-meeting and elect a president and a 
treasurer and a secretary. 

Next day we saw that they did it. Right after 
classes were over at twelve, between twelve and 


98 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

one o’clock, lunch hour, they met in classroom B. : 
Tootsie and Binkie and Rosalinda Clara Smith 
and Penelope Jukes and Phoebe Snow and Kath- 
leen Deborah Finch. The others were special 
students, like Betty Bracton, or they belonged to 
another class. Binkie was elected president and 
Phoebe Snow was treasurer. Kathleen Diana 
Deborah Finch was secretary. Nobody knew 
exactly what they had to do when elected presi- 
dent or secretary, but they did know that the 
treasurer took care of the class dues. Class dues 
were voted twenty-five cents a month. Binkie 
paid hers, but Tootsie had only ten cents to her 
name. The rest of them said they would hand it 
in — of course Penelope tried to borrow hers from 
Binkie, but, fortunately. Daddy Wolsen’s check 
had not yet come ! The class dues were for any- 
thing the class might like to use them for — 
parties and that kind of thing. If any little doll 
of the class got sick, then the class used the 
money in the treasury to buy fifty cents’ worth 
of roses to give her — or less if the treasurer didn’t 
have so much money. 

I think it was the class dues that suggested to 


HALCYON HALL BASKET BALL TEAM 99 


Tootsie that there ought to be a secret society in 
the school. There never had been any before, 
but she had heard about them. 

They decided that secret societies always had 
what they called initiations. 

“What are initiations?” demanded Pinkie. 

“Well, everybody who wants to belong isn’t 
really asked. The ones who are getting up the 
society run after them on their way from classes 
and they hit them on their left shoulder,” Tootsie 
explained. 

(“Ouch,” laughed Marjorie. 

“You mustn’t even think ouch, Marjorie,” I 
contradicted. “Everybody is glad to be chosen. 
Nobody minds.”) 

“Well, who is going to belong?” 

“I haven’t yet decided,” returned Tootsie. 
“You will find out to-morrow, after I’ve con- 
sidered the matter.” 

(Tootsie always did like to use big words that 
sounded grand. In talking about a secret society 
it did sound well, too.) 

“What do you do when you are in-i-tia-ted?” 

“You have to do whatever you are told to do,” 


100 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

answered Tootsie. ‘Tt is usually something 
funny.’' 

All the little girl dolls agreed. They said if 
Tootsie would rap them on the shoulder after 
class that they’d be glad to belong and every one 
of them would do exactly as they were told, no 
matter how bad or funny it was. 

All through the classes that came in the after- 
noon Binkie and Tootsie were passing notes about 
the secret society and trying to decide who was 
to belong. 

They could not decide. It was not purely a 
class affair. It was to be ‘'an honour.” Tootsie 
thought Betty Bracton ought to be in it because 
she was a friend, and she knew she would have 
to have Pinkie, her room-mate, and that as Binkie 
belonged they would have to ask Binkie’s room- 
mate, Penelope Jukes. She and Binkie spent the 
night together in Binkie’s room. (You know the 
little girl dolls did go visiting each other at night, 
even though it wasn’t supposed to be allowed. 
They often did it and talked all night long — but if 
any of the teachers heard the noise they came run- 


HALCYON HALL BASKET BALL TEAM 101 

ning into the room. Then the little girl dolls had 
to go back to their own beds!) 

This night Binkie and Tootsie whispered care- 
fully. (They had to whisper very low lest the 
room-mate overhear.) They had to plan what 
everybody was going to be told to do. Some of 
the stunts were so funny that Binkie and Tootsie 
had to smother their faces in the blanket and 
laugh that way so as not to make noise. 

Well, the next day came and, of course, the 
news had spread. Everybody knew that Tootsie 
Noggins was getting up a secret society and 
everybody came running after Tootsie asking to 
belong. Tootsie was terribly popular. But she 
would not tell who was to be chosen — that would 
have spoiled it! 

At last the time arrived ! It was after American 
history class had finished that Tootsie Noggins 
rapped Binkie Wolsen on her shoulder and in an 
undertone whispered, ‘‘Follow me!’’ 

Everybody knew then that the secret society 
had started and that Binkie was going to do some- 
thing funny. They were wide awake watching 
to see what would happen. It happened not long 


102 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


after: Binkie came down to the next class 
trundling a little toy cart with a doll in it. Every- 
where she went she had to take the cart and the 
doll — all day long! You haven't any idea how 
funny it looked! 

Well, in arithmetic class Miss Means made 
her take it out! She took off ten demerits from 
Binkie's deportment record for having trundled 
it into class and made the girls laugh. She asked 
Binkie to explain her actions, but Binkie was 
loyal and wouldn’t, so she took ten more demerits 
off! Whew! 

It was growing exciting: Miss Means wanted 
to know what the nonsense meant. She rather 
suspected a secret society, Marjorie said. 

Betty Bracton would not tell and none of the 
other girls would tell, for they were all loyal and 
every one of them hoped to be asked to join later. 

And then — ^you might have expected it — when 
Miss Means came to Jane James, she told! 

Miss Means went right to Miss Littledoll and 
reported it. Miss Littledoll sent for Tootsie and 
told her she was surprised and displeased that any 
pupil of Halcyon Hall could do a thing that 



THE BASKETBALL TEAM 


OINKIE is starting to take a picture of some 
^ of the basket ball team in their jerseys and 
bloomers. All the team wore pink ribbons on 
hair and white stockings on feet. Tootsie Nog- 
gins was nearly bitten but she got Miss Means’ 
pet dog for a mascot. She wanted a mascot and 
a ball and a “cup” in Binkie Wolsen’s snap shot. 



HALCYON HALL BASKET BALL TEAM 103 

was forbidden in the rules of the school. She 
told Tootsie she would have to write home and 
tell her parents, and she felt very grieved. Of 
course, it all ended by Tootsie’s having to give 
up the beautiful plan of having a secret society! 
Miss Littledoll sent Tootsie to her room and for- 
bade her to come out again that day. Every little 
girl doll in the school knew why Tootsie Noggins 
had to stay in her room. Every little girl doll 
felt sorry. One by one, every little girl doll crept 
in to see Tootsie and comfort her. It was Laura 
Brown who gave her the most comfort. She 
said that the bloomer suits had come and that 
there was going to be a basket-ball team organ- 
ised. She would vote for Tootsie to be captain. 
They would try to have a meeting to-morrow. 

That really was exciting news. In spite of 
Tootsie’s being kept in her room with a supper 
tray of tea and toast, the bloomer suit for basket- 
ball practise was sent up to her with Pinkie’s. 
When Pinkie came up from tea, each tried on 
her suit and they played they were boys with 
knickerbockers on. Binkie said she would take 
their pictures with the camera she had bought 


104 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

with Daddy’s special check — it had come the 
afternoon of the initiation day and had been spent 
for the long-desired kodak. (Binkie was plan- 
ning to take pictures of everybody and everything 
at Miss Littledoll’s School. She wanted to send 
them home to Mother Wolsen.) 

That night Tootsie and Binkie spent in their 
own beds. And the next day as soon as lessons 
were over — Marjorie and I made the time pass 
very, very quickly, because one can always skip 
over time beautifully when one is playing dolls 
and pretending — we had Binkie doll take her 
camera and run out on the campus. 

There was Miss Means’ little puppy-dog ! (She 
kept the puppy-dog in her room usually because 
she didn’t like to have the little girl dolls pet him.) 
There was Miss Means’ little puppy-dog out for 
an airing. His name was Wopsie, and Tootsie 
Noggins said he would be the very thing for a 
mascot — a basket-ball team or a football team 
always had a mascot. 

All the team wasn’t there to be in Binkie’s 
picture, but there was Rosalinda Clara Smith — 
I mean Pinkie — and there was Penelope Jukes, 


HALCYON HALL BASKET BALL TEAM 105 

and Laura Brown and Annette Allison and Kath- 
leen Diana Deborah Finch. 

Marjorie and I fixed a basket-ball net with a 
bit of veiling and a pill-box cover glued to a 
dollies’ clothes-post. It was ever so good. We 
made two of them and then we left the little dolls 
to have their basket-ball practice under the care- 
ful coaching of the pupil-teacher. 


% 


CHAPTER SEVEN: BROKEN RULES, 
ICE-CREAM AND TROUBLE 




CHAPTER VII 


BROKEN RULES, ICE-CREAM AND TROUBLE 

A fter the first few weeks at Miss Little- 
dolFs School — pretend weeks, of course, 
— Jackie wrote Binkie one day that he 
was coming over to see her. He had been home 
for a week-end visit and he said Uncle Tom and 
Jenny, the servants, had entrusted him with a 
present they wanted to send Binkie. He had 
secured special permission from his school to 
come down for an afternoon to see his sister. He 
thought, maybe, Ted could come at the same time 
to see Tootsie. 

Jackie didn’t mind coming to a little girl dolls’ 
school, but, it seemed, Ted did, so Jackie asked 
them to meet him at the post-office. 

All the little girl dolls at the school were sup- 
posed to go outdoors every afternoon. If they 
did not play basket-ball or golf or tennis, they 
were on their honour to go to take a walk. There 

109 


^ 110 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


were very lovely walks all around Halcyon Hall. 
They were allowed to go anywhere as long as 
they didn’t go to town or to a shop. The teachers 
always had to go with them when they went to 
town or did shopping. Both Binkie and Tootsie 
knew that very well. And they didn’t see any 
harm of meeting Jackie as he had suggested, so 
they didn’t say anything about it. On the day 
appointed they met Jackie there. 

He had been entrusted with a box of fudge of 
the very kind that the Wolsen children used to 
make at home. Jenny, the cook, had made it, 
and Uncle Tom had bought lollipops and put 
them in the package, too. (I hope you wouldn’t 
do what Jackie did — he had just opened the box 
of fudge to see what it was like. When he had 
opened the box to see what it was like he wanted 
to taste what it was like. Then he began to think 
that when he carried it to Binkie she would give 
him some so he thought he might as well eat it 
beforehand. After this, there wasn’t much left, 
you know!) 

Binkie was so glad to see Jackie that she said 
nothing about his having eaten half the box. He 



THE TRAINED BEAR 


^ I ■'HIS shows how Binkie and Tootsie and 
Jackie met the trained bear that they fol- 
lowed to town the day Jackie and Ted came to 
see their sisters. The bear could stand on his 
hind legs and dance with the man’s long pole 
while his keeper sang tum-tum-te-tum-tee-tee- 
tumpety-tum. 




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BROKEN RULES 


111 


was quite ashamed of himself and had the grace 
to say so. But Binkie divided the rest of the 
fudge and the lollipops and they ate it walking 
along and talking about home. Jackie told about 
Chuckles, and it seemed too good to be true to 
see her own brother, Binkie doll thought. He 
had left Ted in town — Ted, he said, had directed 
that Tootsie come over to meet him and that 
Jackie bring Binkie. Ted had planned to go to 
the ice-cream store and treat all of them. He 
wanted them to meet him there. 

“It's against the rules," declared good little 
Binkie. “Miss Littledoll doesn't let us do it." 

“Oh, be a sport!" urged Jackie. 

“I shan't go, if you don't," said Tootsie. “And 
I want to see my brother. I think I can go to 
see my own brother without having to ask per- 
mission 1" 

“Well " 

(Of course, both Marjorie and I knew she 
ought to have kept the rules. It isn't right to 
break school rules, for rules are meant to be kept 
and are meant for the general helpfulness of 
school life — everybody knows that! Marjorie 


112 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

and I know it. You know it. Binkie and 
Tootsie, though they were just little dolls in a 
play-school, knew it.) 

“You can come right back after the ice-cream,” 
insisted Jackie. “Fve only a little time myself. 
Ted and I must be back by five. We have to 
catch the four-thirty trolley home. There isn’t 
much time — Hurry I” 

But right here a most ex-cit-ing thing hap- 
pened. A trained bear came down the road. 
Every little while his keeper made him stand 
still in front of a crowd of boys and girls and 
men and women and the bear danced with a 
pole. It was great ! The bear was going toward 
town and there was simply nothing else to do but 
to follow — unless, indeed, you were a little doll 
resolved not to break a school rule I 

Marjorie and I knew that something in the 
way of punishment was sure to be needed — 
probably it would come as it comes to you when 
you break a school rule, if you are naughty 
enough to do it. 

They followed the trained bear over to town 
and they found Ted in the ice-cream store. He 


BROKEN RULES 


113 


had been eating sundaes. Already he had had 
four. He said he didn’t think he wanted any 
more, but that he would treat Tootsie and Binkie. 
He wanted to go and see the bear, but the bear 
had gone, so he stayed at the ice-cream store, and 
he and Jackie ordered Binkie’s and Tootsie’s ice- 
cream. I don’t know how many platefuls they 
ate. Jackie treated them to two plates apiece 
and I think Ted did too. Maybe Binkie made 
a treat and maybe Tootsie did too — anyhow, they 
had plenty of ice-cream. I think they had straw- 
berry and chocolate and vanilla and pineapple 
and orange — and if you want to know what else, 
why you’ll have to ask Marjorie, because I lost 
count entirely. I know they were neither one 
of them hungry when, suddenly. Tootsie looked 
out of the window and thought she saw Miss 
Littledoll coming down the street. They were 
sure she would come into the ice-cream store and 
were ever so scared — it served them all right! 
But when they had been frightened stiff she 
passed right by ! My I It was a narrow chance ! 
They wished they hadn’t broken the rule. They 
wished they had not come to town. Binkie began 


114 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


to feel sick too. She wished she had not taken 
so many ice-cream treats. She wished she were 
back in her own little room at Miss Littledoll’s 
School. Oh, dear I 

Well, they said good-bye to the boys and then 
Tootsie and Binkie walked soberly home. They 
kept all the time thinking they were going to see 
Miss Littledoll and they knew what would hap- 
pen if they did. Such a trip i^n’t really fun, you 
know. It may be fun at first, but it doesn’t keep 
being fun. They reached Halcyon Hall safely, 
but by the time they reached there Binkie felt 
worse and worse till she knew she was most 
terribly sick! 

At first, she tried to pretend that it was not 
much but — but — it was no use. She couldn’t go 
to supper. Penelope Jukes had to tell Miss Little- 
doll that Binkie was sick! 

Poor Binkie! The school nurse came up to 
see her and she made her take bad medicine. She 
said it was very serious and she looked solemn. 
She wouldn’t let any of the girls into the room — 
Tootsie, thoroughly frightened, did get in. She 
said she wanted to help. She didn’t tell what had 


r 



THE ICE-CREAM STORE 


'LJ ERE is the ice-cream place where Binkie 
and Tootsie and Jackie met Ted. They 
w'ere treated by their brothers and they also 
treated themselves. Binkie had all kinds of ice- 
cream at different times. I think Tootsie Nog- 
gins did too. Marjorie said they had never 
before had such a chance to eat ice-cream. 




BROKEN RULES 


115 


caused the trouble, but she was sure poor Binkie 
doll would never get well and that it was all her 
fault for having urged her to go to town against 
her will. She had eaten as much ice-cream as 
Binkie, but she didn’t feel so sick. She did feel 
a little sick, but it wasn’t as bad as Binkie. Poor 
Binkie couldn’t lift her head from her pillow. 
She could not even talk. 

Miss Littledoll came up to see her. She 
thought they had better send right away for the 
doll doctor. It was an anxious time before he 
came. Tootsie could not be induced to leave 
Binkie’s side. 

And then the doll doctor came. He carried a 
black bag. (Marjorie and I didn’t see all that 
was in it, but there must have been pills and 
powders. I am sure I hope the ones he gave 
Binkie were quite bad-tasting, for I think she 
deserved to be punished for breaking the school 
rule.) 

“Has she been sick long?” he asked. 

“No, Doctor Pills,” replied Miss Littledoll. 
“I think the attack appeared — What time was it, 
Tootsie?” 


116 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

Before Tootsie thought she said it right out! 
It would have been better if she had confessed 
wilfully and with direct purpose, ‘‘After we had 
eaten the ice-cream,^’ said Tootsie. She was so 
upset she didn’t know what she had said. 

“Where did she have ice-cream?” asked Miss 
Littledoll of Tootsie. Miss Littledoll looked very 
dignified and severe. She made Tootsie feel very, 
very, very small — almost as small as — as — oh, the 
smallest kind of a thing there is I 

Then Tootsie told the whole story. She hoped 
Binkie would forgive her. She hoped it would 
save Binkie’s life, if the doctor knew what was 
the cause of the trouble. 

Miss Littledoll asked exactly how many plates 
Binkie had had. Tootsie truthfully told. Then 
she burst into tears and ran to her own room 
to be comforted by Pinkie. She couldn’t stand 
any more! It was terrible! Why, she had been 
thoroughly punished herself, through Binkie’s 
illness, and she didn’t need any more punishment. 
Miss Littledoll had told her that. “If Binkie 
gets well, I want to talk to you both, Tootsiah 
Noggins,” she said with unusual severity. “For 


BROKEN RULES 


117 


the present I am far too anxious over Binkie 
Wolsen’s sickness to even think of punishing 
you. I think you are being punished for, of 
course, Binkie is your best friend.’' 

The doctor was there at the school all night. 
Miss Littledoll never even went to bed. The 
nurse who belonged to the school was there too. 
Miss Means spent the night in the corridor out- 
side of Binkie’s room because she wanted to make 
sure that the little girl dolls didn’t poke their 
heads through the door of Binkie’s room every 
five minutes to ask how she was and whether 
she was better. 

The little girl dolls slept very lightly. They 
loved Binkie and they were all as anxious as 
Tootsie. It was a very serious night — a very 
serious night, indeed. Everybody at Miss Little- 
doll’s now knew the story of how Binkie’s brother 
had brought her fudge and treated her to ice- 
cream and how Tootsie Noggins had urged 
Binkie Wolsen to break a rule of the school and 
go to town. It was largely Tootsie’s fault — all 
of this! They all said — all the little girl dolls — 
that it was very much Tootsie Noggins’ fault. 


118 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

But, of course, Binkie had known perfectly well 
herself what THE RIGHT THING was. 

Then they began to wonder again how Binkie 
Wolsen was and whether she would get well. 

In the morning Miss Littledoll was not in the 
Assembly Hall to lead the exercises. Miss Means 
took her place. She made a long, long talk about 
keeping to the school rules, and every single 
little girl doll then and there resolved never, 
never, oh, never to break the rule about going 
to town without permission to buy one, two, 
three, four, five — and more plates of ice-cream 
unless there was a teacher and the teacher had 
given permission to buy the ice-cream. (This 
wasn’t at all likely, I told Marjorie. The most 
teachers ever let one have was one plateful!) 

At noon the doctor went away and it began to 
be rumoured that Binkie Wolsen was better. 
Then Tootsie thought of the class dues that might 
go for twenty-five cents’ worth of roses. She con- 
sulted the treasurer to find out if there was still 
that amount in the class treasury. After lessons 
they called a special class-meeting. And then 
they went to Miss Littledoll and asked permission 



BINKIE HAD EATEN TOO MUCH ICE-CREAM 


lY/flSS LITTLEDOLL was really worried 
about Binkie. Binkie could not lift her 
head from her pillow. She was very sick indeed. 
When Doctor Pills, the doll doctor, arrived with 
his black bag, he seemed quite worried. Tootsie 
Noggins was anxious and worried too. She 
wanted to help. 


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BROKEN RULES 


119 


to go to town with a teacher to buy roses. Miss 
Littledoll let them. She said, “Yes — my — dears,” 
in the sweetest way possible. “But don't go to 
the ice-cream shop. I cannot permit that again,” 
she cautioned. 

They said they would be good. They prom- 
ised. Miss Means took them to town. 

When they reached the florist's they asked him 
to show them everything he had. He took great 
pains to show everything. The girls had a per- 
fectly lovely time going over all the greenhouses. 
But, at last, they asked the price of things and 
found that roses were two dollars and a half a 
dozen and carnations a dollar seventy-five I 

Whew! 

“Have you nothing cheaper?” inquired 
Tootsie. 

He said he had tulip plants for thirty-five cents. 

They had only thirty cents in the treasury, 
for most of the girls hadn't paid their dues. 

The florist told them he could let them have a 
pink primrose plant for twenty-five, so they took 
that to Binkie. She was still very feeble, but the 
gift pleased her very much. She said she wanted 


120 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

to tell Tootsie of her forgiveness — it wasn’t 
Tootsie’s fault about the ice-cream. 

The school nurse shooed the girls out of 
Binkie’s room, and as Binkie was still too sick 
to be about that day, Marjorie and I didn’t play 
dolls any more. We did other things that day. 


CHAPTER EIGHT: THE THANKSGIV- 
ING SPREAD 


f 




* 1 ^ 








CHAPTER VIII 


THE THANKSGIVING SPREAD 

N OW, wouldn’t you have thought, after 
the serious trouble that had come to 
Tootsie and Binkie as a result of break- 
ing the school rules that all the little girl dolls 
at Halcyon Hall would have wanted to behave? 
You remember, they had resolved never to do 
what Binkie and Tootsie had done. Marjorie 
insisted that they really didn’t mean to be naughty 
— I said, they ought to mean to be good. But 
this is what happened; Marjorie and I played 
it after Binkie doll got well. She was really a 
long time getting well because Marjorie liked 
to play with Doctor Pills, the doll doctor. 

I was worried about Binkie’s lessons, I told 
Marjorie. But, still, she kept Binkie Wolsen 
in her room and away from classes. She would 
not let her go to the dining-room table with the 
other little girl dolls either. She said Binkie was 

123 


124 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

a bright pupil and could make up her work 
later. 

I said, if she didn’t send Doctor Pills away, 
I wouldn’t play any more. I said I would go 
into my study with my typewriter and stay. 

Marjorie laughed. “Oh, Binkie is going to be 
well now,” she declared. “I think it’s most 
Thanksgiving Day vacation. She’ll want to get 
well for thatr 

Some of the girls at Miss Littledoll’s couldn’t 
go home for vacation at Thanksgiving time, 
Marjorie explained. Some lived out West. 
Pinkie was going home; Penelope Jukes was 
going home; Annette Allison couldn’t go, 
though. And Jane James was to stay. Dotty 
Dawson was going. Of course, Binkie and 
Betty and Tootsie were. Kathleen Diana Deb- 
orah Finch, Phoebe Snow, and Laura Brown had 
to go to friends’ houses where they were invited. 
Every little girl doll at the school felt sorry for 
Annette Allison because she was having to stay 
— and stay in such company as that of Jane 
James! So — I don’t know exactly who suggested 
it, but everybody agreed to bring Annette Allison 


THE THANKSGIVING SPREAD 125 


some Thanksgiving so she could have a taste of 
something really good to eat. 

At Miss Littledoll’s School there were certain 
days on which the little dolls had certain things 
to eat. Monday was hash day; Tuesday was rice 
pudding; Thursday was mutton stew; Friday was 
fishballs; Saturday was tapioca pudding made 
with dried apples, and Sunday every little doll 
had a piece of chicken bone and some cornstarch 
blancmange. 

Wouldn't you get tired of that kind of thing? 

Why Tootsie and Binkie and Betty — and all 
the other little girl dolls — simply couldn't wait to 
get home for the wonderful dinner on Thanks- 
giving Day. That was almost as important as 
going home to see mothers and daddies I 

“Only two days more before Thanksgiving!” 
Tootsie would sing out, slamming her books 
down on her desk before class. 

“Hooray!” Betty Bracton would scream. 

“We'll all go home on the same train,” Binkie 
Wolsen doll laughed. 

“Bring me some pieces of turkey and dress- 
ing,” begged Annette Allison. “Couldn't some 


126 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


one of you bring me a pie too? Oh, I’d love to 
have a pie — a nice BIG APPLE PIE !” 

At this moment Marjorie would march Miss 
Sophonisba Ann Means into the class-room and 
everything would have to be still — maybe An- 
nette Allison would pass a note over to Tootsie. 
I think I saw her do it several times. I think she 
was telling Tootsie what to bring. I think it was 
chocolate cake. (Neither Annette Allison nor 
Tootsie were caught.) 

Lessons went on as usual up to the very day of 
going home. The pupils of Miss Littledoll’s 
School left for home on the two o’clock train, 
Marjorie said. We made a chu-chu-train with 
chairs and took them all — and then Marjorie car- 
ried them over to her playroom at home. She 
came back to the toy-closet in the afternoon and 
said that Thanksgiving vacation was all over. 
“It’s always very short,” she explained. “The 
girls have each brought Annette Allison some- 
thing good to eat. There is really little beside 
food in their hand-satchels and suit-cases. Tootsie 
brought two pies — an apple and a mince. Binkie 
brought home-made candy, turkey slices, some 



THE GRAND SPREAD 


^ I ■’HIS is a picture of Annette Allison’s room 
'*■ when all the little girl dolls at Miss Little- 
doll’s School were eating the spread that hap- 
pened to be held at night after the lights were 
out. You can see the pies and the cake. Tootsie 
is just opening the bottle of pickles. 




THE THANKSGIVING SPREAD 127 


turkey dressing, a box of cocoa, nuts and raisins, 
some fruit, some pickles, a bottle of olives ” 

*'All for Annette Allison?” I interrupted. 

“No, not all — just some.** 

“Is she going to take the rest to Jane James?** 
I protested. 

“Jane James — No!” replied Marjorie. “Oh, of 
course not! She’s going to keep them in her 
room to eat between times.” 

“What did Betty Bracton bring?” 

“She brought a chocolate cake — maybe some 
other things like cheese.” 

Pinkie and Penelope had also taken the goodies 
left from Thanksgiving at home and had brought 
Annette Allison something good to eat — with 
enough left over for between meals or — or a 
spread ! 

Really, A SPREAD was in the air. Nobody 
was the first to suggest it. All the little girl dolls 
began to talk of it at the same time. They were 
wild over the plan. Annette Allison said she 
would contribute all the things that were given 
her and they would have a perfectly fine time 
after the gong sounded for lights to be out. 


128 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

“Shall we ask Jane James?” demanded Tootsie. 

“No,” replied Binkie. 

“Then, if you don’t ask her, she’ll tell on us,” 
said Phoebe Snow. 

“Better ask her,” urged Penelope Jukes. 
“Make her promise not to tell too.” 

“I think we’d better ask everybody for then, if 
we do get caught, we’ll all be punished together,” 
advised Kathleen Diana Deborah Finch. 

“Have it in our room,” suggested Tootsie. 

“No — in ours!” Binkie and Penelope Jukes in- 
sisted. “We have more than anybody else. We 
can’t carry it all I” 

But it was agreed to have the spread up in the 
room that belonged to Annette Allison and Kath- 
leen Diana Deborah Finch. T hat room was fur- 
thest away from Miss Means’ bedroom. (Miss 
Means could be relied upon to smell a spread 
three corridors away.) 

The little girl dolls talked over the plans when 
lessons were over for the afternoon. Then they 
carried the food up to Annette Allison’s room in 
various different ways. Tootsie put hers in a 
laundry-bag and swung hers over her shoulder. 


THE THANKSGIVING SPREAD 129 


Betty Bracton and Phoebe Snow put theirs inside 
of a ripped pillow stuffed with newspapers. 
Binkie and Penelope really had a terrible time: 
they could think of no way to take all they had 
up to Annette Allison’s room. They had so many 
different kinds of ‘‘eats” that this was a great 
problem. They didn’t want to get caught. 

“Marjorie,” I declared. “Doesn’t Binkie Wol- 
sen remember her affair with the ice-cream, do 
you suppose?” 

“Oh, she won’t get sick again!” 

“Doesn’t she know it is against the rules to have 
a spread?” 

Marjorie nodded. 

“It’s very serious,” I returned. “This will be 
the second time that Binkie has broken the school 
rules — I thought better of her!” 

“Well, Annette Allison didn’t have any 
Thanksgiving,” Marjorie protested. “The dolls 
might have eaten all this at home. If they chose 
to leave it uneaten and bring it in their bags to 
school ” 

“Well, one has to have spreads at boarding- 
school! I’ll wager even Miss Sophonisba Ann 


130 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

Means used to have them, if she ever went away to 
school!'' 

“THAT must have been a long time ago," said 
Marjorie. 

“Oh yes, a long, long time ago How old 

do you suppose she is?" 

We couldn't think but we knew she must have 
been very old indeed, old enough to have for- 
gotten what having a spread felt like. 

By this time all the pupils of Miss Littledoll's 
had volunteered to help Binkie and Penelope 
carry the food up to Annette Allison's room. 
Each took a little at a time — I think Jane James 
was the only one mean enough to eat what she 
offered to carry 1 

“Put it under the couch and cover it with some 
couch pillows," advised Tootsie. 

“No — mice might get it, if it were on the floor," 
replied Betty Bracton, who was always having 
mice in her room. 

“Put it in Annette's bed then," suggested Laura 
Brown. 

“No — not in a bed. One of the teachers would 



MADEMOISELLE OUINON 


"LJERE is Mademoiselle Ouinon in her dress- 
ing-gown and cap. She has been hiding 
behind the settle in the darkness of the hallway 
waiting to catch Binkie, Tootsie, Betty or any of 
the little girl dolls. She thought that they were 
having a spread but she didn’t know which room 
it was in. 





THE THANKSGIVING SPREAD 131 

be sure to suspect something therey if she came 
in.” 

So they all decided to put it behind the books 
on the bookshelf and inside the washstand drawer 
and — some might go under the cushion of the 
rocking chair if nobody would forget and sit 
down on it. 

At last, all the “eats” were stored in various 
parts of Annette Allison’s room. They agreed to 
meet for the spread as soon as lights were out and 
it was safe to corne up. (That was, of course, if 
there were no teachers in the hallways.) 

“Do you think we ought to play that Miss 
Means catches any one of them?” Marjorie asked 
me. “It would be fun.” 

“Yes, it would be fun,” I returned, “but if the 
cross teacher did catch anybody, why there could 
be still a chance to get to the spread later, per- 
haps ” 

At this very moment the gong for lights to be 
put out sounded through the halls of Miss Little- 
doll’s School. 

Marjorie and I pretended that the little girl 
dolls went into their beds and remained there for 


132 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

a safe half-hour. It was Tootsie and Pinkie who 
were the first to venture out and, with kimonos 
fluttering behind them, they ran through the cor- 
ridor tiptoe in felt slippers. They reached An- 
nette Allison’s room safely. Kathleen Diana 
Deborah Finch and her room-mate were eagerly 
waiting. 

“Don’t sit in the rocking-chair,” Annette cau- 
tioned. “Be careful. Don’t talk out loud! Did 
you see anybody else coming?” 

And then the door opened cautiously. In came 
Jane James and Laura Brown and Betty Bracton. 
Betty Bracton explained that her room-mate, 
Phoebe Snow, got scared and was waiting behind 
a screen in Class-room A. She thought, as they 
passed Miss Means’ room, that the cross teacher 
heard them. So Phoebe had hid to await what 
might happen. Betty came on in a hurry. She 
was quite out of breath. 

Binkie and Penelope arrived next. (Penelope 
had borrowed Binkie’s best wrapper to wear for 
the occasion. Binkie had had to wear a torn 
one.) 

They waited and waited for Phoebe Snow. She 


THE THANKSGIVING SPREAD 133 


simply didn’t come. Then Tootsie volunteered 
to go after her and find out if she was still behind 
the screen in Class-room A. 

Tootsie sped out on tiptoe. She reached the 
place of Phoebe’s hidden safety. “Miss Means 
isn’t around. It’s all safe,” she urged. 

But it took a great deal of courage for Phoebe 
Snow to come out of Class-room A. At last, Toot- 
sie got her into Annette Allison’s room. 

It had to be dark in the room. Somebody put 
a shawl around the cracks of the door and then 
somebody else found a candle and lighted it. 
Everybody helped prepare the eats on the floor. 
Laura Brown had brought her alcohol kettle and 
Kathleen Diana Deborah Finch had a chafing- 
dish. There were the two pies and the cake and 
the pickles and the turkey slices and the cheese 
and the candy and the nuts and the raisins and 
the fruit and the bottle of olives — um I Yum-yum ! 

All the little girl dolls sat around and ATE. 

“Remember when we went to town with Jackie 
and Ted, Binkie?” asked Tootsie. 

“Do I!” exclaimed Binkie. “Of course I do! 
I wish we had ice-cream right here and now!” 


134 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

“What kind would you choose?” 

“Please pass the pickles, Betty.” 

“I want another piece of pie Where’s the 

olive bottle?” 

Marjorie seemed to think Binkie was eating too 
much — and right on top of Thanksgiving too ! I 
said we ought to stop it. But how could we stop 
it unless we had brought out the cross teacher 
doll? It would have been rather horrid to spoil 
the fun. We thought better, Marjorie and I, to 
let the pupils of Miss Littledoll’s School eat up 
the cake and the pickles and the pies and the fruit 
and the slices of turkey and the candy and the 
olives. It must have been late when the spread 
broke up for they told stories in whispers after- 
wards till Betty Bracton fell asleep in a chair. 
When Annette Allison woke her, Betty was 
dreaming that the cross teacher. Miss Means, had 
caught her. She gave a dreadful scream and 
frightened everybody. Why, that scream could 
have been heard away downstairs ! 

They waited. By and by steps did come pat- 
tering along the hall. 

“Hide, girls!” Annette Allison and her room- 


THE THANKSGIVING SPREAD 135 

mate Kathleen Diana Deborah Finch rushed for 
their beds. They pretended to snore loudly. The 
rest of the party hid under the couch, behind the 
hangings, under the bed. 

“NOW they’re going to be caught!” whispered 
Marjorie. “Let’s play they are caught!” 

“If they are caught, everybody will be pun- 
ished,” I argued. “If they’ve broken the rules, I 
suppose they ought to be caught and punished.” 

So we played that a doll teacher came and 
opened the door of Annette Allison’s room. She 
turned toward the bed where Kathleen Diana 
Deborah Finch was snoring so loud. Kathleen 
Diana Deborah Finch felt a poke that was like 
Miss Means but she snored on louder than ever. 

Miss Means crossed to Annette Allison’s bed 
and listened to the heavy breathing. Then she 
sat down on the couch and waited a while. It was 
all the girls could do to keep Tootsie Noggins 
from pinching Miss Means’ foot that was at the 
edge of the couch under which Tootsie was 
hidden. 

But at last Miss Means thought things were all 
right and she went out and closed the door. 


136 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

Everybody waited. Most everybody was afraid 
to venture home. Then, at last, all in a bunch. 
Tootsie and Pinkie and Jane James and Penelope 
Jukes and Laura Brown and Phoebe Snow ven- 
tured forth. They had hardly gone as far as the 
big settle in the hall when — WHO SHOULD 
THEY MEET BUT MADEMOISELLE OUI- 
NONI 

And Mademoiselle Ouinon had a candle in her 
hand! 

“Wait one minute, young ladies,” she politely 
requested. “Have you perhaps been to a party?” 

“We 'r — r — r ” they stuttered. “We — 

we ” 

Mademoiselle Ouinon thought they were an- 
swering, “Oui, oui,” you know! What a joke: 
that’s the French for “Yes, yes!” Marjorie said. 

So she looked them all over to be able to tell 
who they were Oh dear ! 

But they didn’t tell where they had come from 
— the other little girl dolls reached their own 
rooms without having been caught! 

Next day Miss Littledoll sent for the whole 
school! It was going to be PUNISHMENT, 



THE LITTLE DOLLS IN DISGRACE 


A LL the little girl dolls have been called to 
the principal’s office to be scolded about 
the spread that they had, quite against the rules, 
in Annette Allison’s room. Mademoiselle Ouinon 
is in the background. It looks as if the pupils 
were ashamed of themselves and as if what Miss 
Littledoll said was pretty severe. 



THE THANKSGIVING SPREAD 137 


Marjorie said. (Of course, they ought to be pun- 
ished for breaking a school rule!) 

Miss Littledoll talked very seriously with them. 
She said she had had great hopes of Binkie Wol- 
sen's goodness when Binkie had come to the 
school. She said she knew that Binkie was the 
daughter of the famous Mr. G. Abihad Wolsen, 
the writer doll who belonged to Marjorie’s white 
doll house. She said that Binkie had now twice 
disgraced her family by breaking the school rules 
and that she had led Tootsie into temptation. 
(Tootsie declared that she went in of her own free 
will but Miss Littledoll only looked more grieved. 
She told Tootsie to keep still I) 

I tell you! All of them felt pretty badly. I 
think they all cried. 

Miss Littledoll cried too. She made them tell 
her how they got the cake and the pickles and 
the pies and the olives and the turkey slices and 
the candy. They tried to shield Binkie as much 
as possible. Binkie had been so generous and 
now she was getting almost all the blame I Oh 
dear! 

Mademoiselle Ouinon was present during the 


138 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

whole talk. She seemed to feel badly to have had 
to report the misconduct. 

Miss Littledoll turned to her for help, at last. 
‘‘Mademoiselle Ouinon, what punishment do you 
think they should be given?’' 

“To learn to conjugate the irregular verbs — all 
of them,” promptly answered Mademoiselle Oui- 
non — “And ze young ladies might be without ze 
rice pudding on ze time it falls due.” 

(I think Mademoiselle Ouinon’s eyes had a 
twinkle in them — anyhow, that was the punish- 
ment, Of course. Miss Littledoll wrote home to 
Binkie’s parents.) 

The wonder was that nobody was sick after the 
affair of the spread! Marjorie did want to have 
Doctor Pills again but I said, if she had him, Fd 
go to my study and typewrite. So we agreed not 
to have him after all. I don’t like to play doll- 
doctor all the time I 


CHAPTER NINE: THE CHRISTMAS 
HOLIDAYS 







CHAPTER IX 


THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS 

B etween Thanksgiving holiday and the 
Christmas holiday, all the girls at Miss 
Littledolks School had to study French 
verbs during recess. When they went out for 
exercise, Miss Scribble or Miss Means went with 
them. Wherever the school walked, the girls 
went two by two. It was punishment. I think, 
too. Miss Littledoll thought they might go to the 
ice-cream place to buy candy and cake, if she let 
them go about alone. 

At this time everybody except Tootsie Noggins 
was excited over examinations. Binkie really 
worked hard and wanted to do her level best to 
make up for having broken the rules and for hav- 
ing thus been a disgrace to the Wolsen doll fam- 
ily. She knew Daddy wouldn’t like her deport- 
ment mark. It was going to be very low indeed. 


142 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

When Daddy had told Binkie that she could go 
to Miss LittledolFs School, Binkie had always 
planned to have unusually fine reports — but, here, 
twice in the first half year, she had broken the 
rules! Oh dear! She wished she had not! 

Marjorie said Binkie hadn’t heard from home 
yet. Binkie felt very badly about being reported 
at home for poor conduct. She had been very 
carefully brought up, you know. She didn’t want 
to grieve her daddy. It would grieve her daddy 
to hear that she had been breaking the rules at 
Miss Littledoll’s School. So Binkie tried harder 
than ever to get good standing in her examina- 
tions. 

It wasn’t so with Tootsie. Tootsie always was 
happy-go-lucky. Tootsie didn’t study; She had 
a good time and when examinations came around 
— well, she had a hard time. (It never seemed 
to bother her much. It ought to I insisted. But 
Tootsie forgot about how poor her work was and 
she thought only about Christmas holidays and 
what fun she would have at home.) 

All the little girl dolls were quite tired out after 
examinations were over and it was time to go 



PACKING PENELOPE JUKES’S TRUNK 


"LJERE is Binkie Wolsen running to take the 
borrowed things out of Penelope Jukes’s 
trunk that would not shut and could not be 
locked, after packing. The other girls are wait- 
ing to jump on the trunk afterwards. It is the 
only way they can shut the trunk so that the 
catch will snap. They have been packing to go 
home for the holidays. 




THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS 113 

home — all, that is, except Tootsie who never stud- 
ied or worried. 

There was great excitement when the trunks 
came up to the halls. The trunks had been stored 
downstairs. It was jolly to see them and splendid 
work to pack up. Everybody was going home 
for Christmas — even Annette Allison and Jane 
James and all the others who hadn’t gone home 
at Thanksgiving time. 

But, my dear! Would you believe it! When 
Penelope Jukes began to pack, she packed a whole 
armful of Binkie’s clothes in with her own! 
Binkie found her doing it! 

“Penelope,” said she, “I can’t let you borrow 
those. I shall need to carry them home in my 
trunk. Mother wrote to ask me to bring all my 
things home. She wants to look them over.” 

“Why, the things are mine, Binkie !” 

“No, they are mine.” 

“Why, I’ve worn them all this term. I thought 
you gave ’em to me!” 

“No. You borrowed them. Pen. You know 
you borrowed them. You didn’t even ask leave!” 


144 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


Penelope took the things out of the trunk and 
nothing more was said. 

But when Binkie began to pack, she missed 
other things I Of course, she knew exactly where 
they were! She didn’t like to say any more to 
Penelope — they were really good friends, Marjorie 
said. ( Maybe Penelope thought these belonged to 
her because she had worn them so much!) 

Binkie’s suitcase and trunk went together very 
easily but Penelope’s just wouldn’t close. Jane 
James and Betty Bracton and Pinkie tried stand- 
ing on it to make it close — but it wouldn’t close ! 

Finally, Penelope agreed that some of the things 
inside would have to come out. It was Binkie’s 
chance! She opened the trunk and pulled out 
the things that belonged to her — the things that 
Penelope was always borrowing! Then, before 
Penelope could say a word, she jammed down the 
trunk-lid and jumped on top of the trunk. Betty 
and Pinkie and Jane James helped — AND THE 
TRUNK WENT SHUT WITH A SNAP. 
Penelope locked it and Binkie went off with the 
things that belonged to her. For once, Penelope 



THE POOR CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS TREE 


^ I '^HIS is Binkie Wolsen’s Christmas tree that 
she fixed for the poor children who were 
not going to have any presents. It is a beautiful 
tree, as you may judge. You will see the splen- 
did rocking-horse, the Teddy-bear, the doll-car- 
riage and the skates that Binkie Wolsen gave 
them. 






THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS 145 

hadn’t borrowed them ! It made Marjorie and me 
laugh! 

The trunks went on the two o’clock train with 
the pupils of Miss Littledoll’s Select Boarding 
and Day School. Miss Means left by the same 
train and Miss Scribble did too. Mademoiselle 
Ouinon was going to stay over the holidays with 
Miss Littledoll at the school, Marjorie said. We 
waved them all off. It seemed lonely at Miss 
Littledoll’s in the toy-closet after all the little girl 
dolls had gone. Marjorie quite insisted that I 
come over to her house to see Binkie’s arrival 
home. We went over together. 

Jackie must have met Binkie at the Junction. 
They got off the train together and there they 
were met by Daddy who had brought Peggy with 
him. It was simply splendid to see Daddy again 1 
And to think of two whole weeks in the white doll 
house! Oh, how fine! 

Daddy said Mother couldn’t come to the train 
on account of Chuckles. It was so snowy a day 
she didn’t like to take Chuckles out in the storm. 
But I think Binkie doll almost squeezed the breath 
out of Mother Wolsen when, at last, the sleigh 


146 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

reached the white doll house! Oh, but it was 
jolly to be home! Oh, but it was nice to be away 
from rules and lessons and to be with Daddy and 
Mother and Jackie and Peggy and Chuckles and 
Jenny and Uncle Tom in the white doll house 
again ! 

I did not, myself, see all that happened there 
in the two weeks of Binkie’s vacation. Marjorie 
told me about a great deal of it : how Binkie had a 
serious talk with her father and how she told him 
about the spread and the day she ate so much 
ice-cream. He asked her a great many, many 
questions — ^you see, Marjorie said, he could think 
about Binkie's schooling now that his story had 
gone to the magazine. 

And then after the serious talk was all over, he 
promised Binkie a pony after graduation, pro- 
vided that she should carry off the class honours. 
(That would mean that Binkie couldn’t have any 
more poor deportment marks either!) 

Well, Binkie felt that she would do all she could 
to earn the pony. But, beside that, she wanted 
to be an honour to the family and please Daddy. 



BINKIE’S “BIRTHDAY” STOCKING 


TTRRF. is a picture of Binkie Wolsen doll wak- 
ing up in her own room in the white doll 
house on her birthday morning that came after 
Christmas. You can see the stocking Mrs. Wol- 
sen stuffed. It is hanging above Binkie’s head. 




► 

f 





\ 


t 




, [»*■ 






THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS 


147 


She resolved to be very good when she went back 
to school for the next term, Marjorie said. 

Binkie did a very nice thing that Christmas. 
(I am sure you will agree that it was a very nice 
thing indeed.) She was out shopping one day 
and was coming home laden with parcels when 
she met three little poor children. They were 
crying because they said there was no Santa Claus 
for poor children. 

Binkie stopped to talk with them and learned 
where they lived. They were the children of a 
poor woman who did washing. They lived in a 
doll tenement. 

Binkie was late to tea that night. When she 
came in, Daddie asked if that was the way she did 
at Miss Littledoll’s. But Binkie explained why 
she was late and she told Daddy and Mother all 
about her resolve: it was to give up her own 
Christmas to these other little dolls who had noth- 
ing to make them happy. 

Daddy and Mother fell in with the plan. They 
were delighted. Jackie said he would help too. 
It was really fun planning what each should give. 

Binkie and Jackie had a certain amount of 


148 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


spending money for Christmas and it was all to 
go to the poor children — almost all, — after buying 
Daddy’s present and Mother’s present, of course, 
and buying something for Jenny and Chuckles^ 
and Uncle Tom! 

Jackie went with Binkie to give the invitation 
for the Christmas tree to which they were going 
to ask the little poor children. (I wish that t 
could have played all this with Marjorie. I should 
have loved to but it was my luck to have to work 
hard over the typewriter in my study.) I did go 
to the Christmas tree ! I can tell you there never 
was such a fine doll Christmas tree anywhere be- 
fore! There were all kinds of toys, — everything 
you could want or think of! I don’t see how 
Binkie bought them all! I fancy Daddy Wolsen 
and Mother Wolsen helped. 

The poor children and their mother were as 
happy as they could be but the happiest of all, 
Marjorie and I thought, the very happiest of any 
doll at the Christmas party was Binkie. She said 
it had been the loveliest Christmas she ever had 
known. 

I thought Mother Wolsen and Daddy were ever 


THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS 149 

SO much pleased to see how really kind and good 
their little daughter was and I think Daddy Wol- 
sen told Mother Wolsen on Christmas night that 
Binkie had made up for breaking the rules at 
Miss Littledoll’s school. He said she really was 
a good little girl and he had great hopes of 
Binkie’s being a great credit to the Wolsen doll 
family. He said he w^s going to write Miss Lit- 
tledoll and tell her all about it. 

Mother Wolsen said, of course, that she quite 
agreed with him. 




\ 



CHAPTER TEN: THE WINTER TERM 







CHAPTER X 


THE WINTER TERM 

B INKIE’S birthday, so Marjorie said, was to 
come just before the end of Christmas 
vacation at home. She was going to be 
twelve ! There was going to be a party and a cake 
and, though Binkie had given up her Christmas 
presents for the little poor dolls, now she was to 
have a splendid surprise on her birthdav morn- 
ing I 

Mother Wolsen doll and Daddy Wolsen had 
talked over Binkie’s birthday and made many 
plans. And one of the nicest ones, so Marjorie 
and I thought, was that they determined to turn 
the day into a real Christmas all Binkie’s very 
own. 

Mother Wolsen stuffed one of Binkie’s stock- 
ings with all kinds of funny jokes. They bought 
Binkie a teddy bear and a doll carriage, some 
skates, a new golf-bag and clubs, — all the things 

153 


154 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


she had wanted for Christmas and had given up I 
They fixed them all around her bed after she had 
gone to sleep at night and it was just as if Santa 
Claus had been there when Binkie woke on her 
birthday morning. 

In the afternoon Ted and Tootsie and Betty 
came over to Binkie’s birthday party. It was a 
jolly ending to the Christmas holidays at the white 
doll house and Marjorie was soon afterwards 
back in my toy-closet playing that the children 
had come back to school. 

The winter term at Miss Littledoll’s had several 
delightful things in store. We were going to 
play at having winter sports — coasting, skating, 
snow-ball fights; we had made a wonderful play 
lake in the “grounds” that were near Miss Little- 
doll’s school. (Maybe, I’d better tell you how 
we made it; it was made out of an old mirror I had 
stored away. We covered its edges with white 
cotton snow and draped white cloth all over the 
rest of the place.) 

We made a hill for coasting too. It was a pile 
of pillows covered with white cloth. And to 
make all look twice as wintry, we bought some 


THE WINTER TERM 


155 


Christmas tree snow in a box at the ten-cent store. 

We didn’t mind making a muss in the toy- 
closet. We knew we could clean it all up after — 
so we brought out all the little girl dolls and 
treated them to a really sweeping blizzard of pre- 
tend snow storm before the winter sports began. 

Some of them wore their sweaters and bloomer 
suits for coasting. Oh, we had the dearest little 
bob-sled! I wish you could have seen how cun- 
ning all the pupils of Miss Littledoll’s School 
looked when Marjorie carefully arranged them 
one back of the other and — with a push — sent the 
bobsled down the hill ! Oh, it was great fun to be 
playing at sliding down hill in August! (Of 
course, you know, Marjorie is quite used to pre- 
tending. At Miss Littledoll’s School it was about 
the first of February, you know.) 

Mrs. Wolsen’s letter to Miss Littledoll had in- 
fluenced the school principal to change Binkie’s 
room-mate — that was another nice thing that had 
happened at the opening of the winter term. 

There was to be a costume party at Valentines 
and, later, a concert. The little girl dolls talked a 
great deal about the valentine party but they 


156 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


really didn't care much about the concert though 
Miss Littledoll tried to impress upon them — espe- 
cially in Assembly meetings — how very important 
the concert was to be. 

We played more at winter sports than we did at 
class lessons. We were always thinking of some 
new way to add to their attractiveness. We made 
a snow fort for the little dolls. We made it by 
rolling cotton into balls and then we built the 
balls one on top of the other. Marjorie had a 
regular snow fight with the fort. 

We had moonlight skating with a pretend bon- 
fire of little twigs. Red and yellow paper, we 
played was flame and we let Miss Means and 
Miss Scribble and the pupil-teacher and Made- 
moiselle Ouinon come out and be dragged about 
over the ice on sleds. Oh, it was ever so jolly! 

The valentine party was a success too. We 
had that when we were tired of playing at winter 
sports and after Marjorie had fixed over Binkie's 
room with care to remove all that had belonged 
to the borrowing room-mate, Penelope. 

Marjorie had a splendid time dressing the little 
girl dolls up in fancy costumes for the valentine 



COASTING AND SKATING AT AIISS LITTLEDOLL’S SCHOOL 


T^HE pupils of Miss Littledoll’s enjoyed win- 
ter sports of coasting and skating. They 
wore jerseys and bloomers and little caps. They 
had a big red bob-sled. The winter sports were 
very popular indeed. 



THE WINTER TERM 


157 


party. They each had to have black paper masks 
made for them. Marjorie tied these on with 
string. For the life of me, when the little girl 
dolls were dressed up, I couldn’t tell Phoebe Snow 
from Rosalinda Clara Smith ! I could, of course, 
tell Binkie and Tootsie. Tootsie had an odd way 
of hanging her head and there was no other little 
doll at Halcyon Hall whose hair was as long and 
as black as Binkie Wolsen’s. 

‘T think we’re having far too many party 
times,” I said to Marjorie. “There has been 
Christmas and Binkie’s birthday and all the win- 
ter sports and, now valentines! We have a con- 
cert booked — and what do you think is happening 
to lessons?” 

“Oh, lessons are going on all the time,” Mar- 
jorie answered. “Binkie is studying hard. It’s 
Tootsie who is just playing. I don’t see how she 
can ever graduate at all if she doesn’t give more 
time to her lessons!” 

“Mr. Noggins is making a great effort to keep 
Tootsie at Miss Littledoll’s School,” I sighed. “It 
would be hard if she didn’t graduate.” 

“Wouldn’t it! But I do hope Binkie will get 


158 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

her pony — I do so hope she will! I would love 
to have a pony to play with at the white doll 
house!’' 

“Hasn’t Miss Littledoll talked to Tootsie, Mar- 
jorie?” 

“Yes. She called Tootsie into her office and 
she did talk to her.” 

“Can’t she talk to her again? All the teachers 
are complaining of Tootsie’s marks. They say 
she is only having a good time. They say she 
goes to lessons without ever having looked at her 
books. Do make Miss Littledoll talk to her,” I 
urged. “Try again!” 

So we played that Miss Littledoll called for 
Tootsie and that Tootsie came straight from 
coasting. She was in Miss Littledoll’s office a 
long time. It was so long that Marjorie and I 
almost forgot about it. We were busy making 
valentines for the valentine party, you know. 

I don’t think the serious talk could have done 
much good to Tootsie Noggins. Maybe she did 
mean to be a better student but, somehow, after- 
wards, Marjorie said, Tootsie forgot. She was in 
all the fun. It was Binkie who was the grind. 


THE WINTER TERM 


159 


Binkie would hardly play at all. She had to go 
to the valentine party dressed in a sheet because 
she had had no time to get a costume ready. 
Tootsie went as a cowboy. All the little girl 
dolls wanted to dance with her and she was even 
more popular than usual. 

Marjorie cut the doll valentines out of coloured 
papers and every little girl doll had some. Even 
Miss Means had a valentine. She wouldn’t show 
it to anybody but Miss Scribble, though! Mar- 
jorie and I thought it must have been a comic one. 
And we thought Tootsie Noggins probably 
sent it. 

The valentine party was a success, indeed. 
After it was over — and hardly was it over — when 
the concert that Miss Littledoll planned was due. 

The concert was to be given in the Assembly 
Hall. It was chiefly a violin recital and the musi- 
cian, so Binkie Wolsen doll wrote home, was 
Herr Heinrich, the best violinist there ever was 
in Dollyland. 

Binkie Wolsen was most affectionately re- 
garded by Miss Littledoll, now that she was get- 
ting such good marks in her studies. I think it 


160 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


was Miss Littledoll who suggested that Binkie fix 
up the platform for the concert. She thought 
Binkie had such good taste, you know. 

Nobody ever fixed up a platform at Miss Little- 
doll’s School without borrowing plants so Binkie 
got Penelope Jukes to borrow for her. Penelope 
then came back with the plants and she had been 
so zealous that she borrowed other things beside. 
She went right into the girls’ rooms, Marjorie 
said, and took everything that she thought might 
be used to help decorate that platform. (You see 
she simply doted on borrowing!) 

She brought two candle-sticks from Phoebe 
Snow’s room and she brought Dotty Dawson’s 
harp and Laura Brown’s banjo. 

“I don’t see what we need of those,” protested 

Binkie. “All we want is potted plants We 

might have a rug, maybe ” 

So off went Penelope again. She came back 
with a black bearskin rug and Kathleen Diana 
Deborah Finch’s rose plant. Then she took the 
candlesticks and things Binkie had discarded and 
put them on the piano! (Binkie took them off 
but Pen put them on again — of course there 



THE CONCERT 


"LJERE is Herr Heinrich giving his violin re- 
cital. You can see the tea-table that Penelope 
Jukes borrowed to help decorate the platform. 
The pitcher of ice-water is on it with the glass 
to drink from. The plate of crackers is not 
there because Binkie would not let Penelope leave 
it on the table. 



THE WINTER TERM 


161 


would have been a quarrel, if Binkie hadn’t 
finally left them! Yet, both Marjorie and I knew 
that the banjo and the harp and the candlesticks 
were quite out of place!) 

Penelope told everybody that she was on the 
committee for decoration. On the strength of 
this, she took a tea-table from Jane James’ room. 
She said at lectures and things the lecturers had 
to have a glass and ice water on a table that always 
stood on the platform. 

‘T don’t think violinists drink ice water,” 
Binkie doll urged. ‘‘Don’t let’s have the table on 
the platform — ^you take it back!” 

But Penelope was as obstinate about that as 
about the candlesticks and the table had to stay 
too! It looked rather sociable. They put a lace 
table cover on it. Penelope rather wanted to put 
a plateful of crackers beside the silver pitcher 
and the glass but Binkie simply put her foot down 
flat on that project. She said she wouldn’t 
have it. 

I couldn’t stay to the concert as I had work 
to do in my study but as I wrote I heard squeaky 
noises that sounded as if Marjorie were imitating 


162 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

a violin. The selections didn’t seem very classical 
but, no doubt, Herr Heinrich chose what he 
thought would interest the music pupils. No- 
body seemed very enthusiastic over the concert; 
after it was over though the applause, as I heard 
it in my study — why, it was tremendous! 

(Personally, I was glad when the concert was 
over. I hadn’t been able to work at all on account 
of it.) 

When I saw Marjorie afterwards, she said, 
“Oh, do you know what! Miss Littledoll felt 
very badly about the tea-table. She told Binkie 
never, never again to put a tea-table on the plat- 
form for a concert.” 

As I peeped into the little doll school, I saw 
Herr Heinrich’s grip, his coat and his hat and 
rubbers. They looked very like any little doll’s 
hat and rubbers. They didn’t look at all cele- 
brated but Marjorie said that they were! 


CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE PLAY 


CHAPTER XI 


THE PLAY 

F or a long time after Herr Heinrich's 
concert, things went uneventfully at 
Miss Littledoll's School. Then there 
came the play. All the little girl dolls — and even 
the teachers — spoke of the coming theatricals as if 
it were to be one of the events of the year. 

First, there had been the selection of the play. 
Marjorie said Miss Littledoll and the teachers 
held a special meeting to decide about it. Then, 
one afternoon. Miss Littledoll gave out a notice 
for the bulletin board and when Tootsie, Binkie, 
Betty, Pinkie, Penelope, Laura, Jane, Phoebe, An- 
nette Allison and Kathleen Diana Deborah Finch 
looked at it they read: 

Miss Littledoll will read the new play 
to the students at 2 o'clock on Tuesday 
afternoon. Please be present. Assembly 
Hall. 

165 


166 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


‘‘I hope it isn’t going to be a French play,” I 
sighed. “I hope it isn’t going to be anything but 
a nice English play, Marjorie. I don’t think that 
the little girl dolls would have much fun acting a 
French play, though I suppose boarding-schools 
usually have them.” 

Marjorie thought we would have to wait and 
see so we waited impatiently for Tuesday to come 
around. 

We played that it was then a Thursday. In the 
time that passed between this and Tuesday, Mar- 
jorie let Pinkie have a week-end visit home and 
take Tootsie Noggins with her. But Tuesday 
came quite quickly before I knew it I 

THE PLAY turned out to be something very 
unexpectedly fine — no French play at all I It was 
to be a kind of Indian story. The girls who had 
Camp Fire costumes were going to be able to use 
them! Wasn’t that great! 

THE PLAY was a kind of legend. It was 
about the original settlers and how the land where 
Miss Littledoll’s School now stood had been 
bought for a hatchet and a hoe and a looking- 
glass long ago. There were exactly eight speak- 



\ MISS LITTLEDOLL’S SCHOOL TAKES A WALK 


I ^HIS picture shows Miss Littledoll’s School 
out walking, two by two. Miss Means, the 
cross teacher, is walking at the back of the pro- 
cession so she can see everything everybody does. 
At the head of the procession is Tootsie with 
Pinkie and they see Jackie and Ted and another 
boy from the Academy. Miss Means will not 
even let them stop to speak with their own 
brothers ! 









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THE PLAY 


167 


ing parts in it. Only the two worst students had 
to be left out. (I thought Tootsie was surely go- 
ing to be left out because she was one of the worst 
students but Jane James got sick and they had 
to give her part to Tootsie.) It was the part of the 
White Man and Tootsie could wear her cowboy 
suit, she thought. 

The little girl dolls, Marjorie pretended, had a 
terrible time learning their parts for the play. 
Binkie, I think, was the only one who was word 
for word perfect. (You could always count on 
Binkie’s doing right ! She was working hard for 
that pony Daddy Wolsen had promised her.) 

Miss Scribble was the one who was stage man- 
ager and prompter. The little girl dolls met in 
the gym and had no end of rehearsals, it seemed 
to me. Whenever I peeked into my toy-closet 
where Marjorie was playing with the pupils of 
Miss Littledolks School and asked, “What are 
they doing now?” Marjorie would promptly re- 
ply, ** Rehear sing r (It did seem as if the whole 
school had gone mad about the play!) 

It came out that several trustees were going to 
be present at the acting of the play and that quite 


168 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


a number of friends of the school were also com- 
ing from out of town — also, of course, parents of 
the pupils were asked to be there. 

There was a good deal of going to town in free 
time, too. The little girl dolls usually went on 
errands about the costumes. They made appoint- 
ments at the sewing-woman’s to “try on,” Mar- 
jorie said. I used to see them very frequently 
walking two by two and two by two with Miss 
Means, the cross teacher, straight and stiff like a 
general marching them along. Those who didn’t 
have to “try on” made up ERRANDS in town. 
It was a chance to have an ice-cream soda if Miss 
Littledoll had given permission to go to the ice- 
cream place. 

One day as they were out walking to town that 
way who should the girls meet but Jackie and 
Ted and another boy from the Academy! 

Tootsie was right in the front of the line of 
girls because, you know, they always put the 
naughtiest there. Pinkie was with her. They saw 
Jackie and Ted and the other boy, oh, how nice 1 

Shouldn’t you have thought that they could be 
allowed to talk and shake hands? Well, they 



TOOTSIE ASKS PERMISSION TO INVITE THE BOYS 


tTERE you will see exactly how Miss Littledoll 
looked at Tootsie Noggins when Tootsie 
asked to invite the Academy boys to the play 
that Miss Littledoll’s School was going to give. 
They w’ere waiting to sit down to tea when 
Tootsie sprung it. 


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THE PLAY 


169 


couldn’t! Miss Sophonisba Ann Means was as 
cross as cross and she simply marched Tootsie 
right on! As for Binkie, why she could only 
catch a glimpse of Jackie! She didn’t even know 
why he happened to be in town Think of it ! 

When the girls came home that night, Tootsie 
said she was going to tell Miss Littledoll what 
she thought about it. She said it was a shame not 
to be allowed to speak to one’s brother. 

It was at tea table while they were waiting for 
Miss Littledoll to make a first move to be seated 
that Tootsie started it. 

‘T’m going to ask the boys to the play,” she 
said. 

Miss Littledoll fairly looked through Tootsie! 
‘Tt is not the custom of Miss Littledoll’s School 
to ask the Academy boys,” she replied severely. 

“Then I don’t want to be the White Man in the 
play, if I can’t have Teddy,” returned Tootsie. 

Oh my! How naughty! The idea of talking 
like that to the Principal of Miss Littledoll’s 
School ! All the other little girl dolls were quite 
horrified. Didn’t everybody know it was a school 
rule! 


170 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

Anyhow, Tootsie got nothing for her naughty 
behaviour. She pouted all through the meal 
though, Marjorie said. (Fm sure it isn’t pretty 
to pout — shouldn’t you be ashamed to own a little 
doll who acted so silly?) 

Anyway, the boys didn’t come to the play and, 
probably, if they had been invited Ted wouldn’t 
have had the courage to come to a little girl dolls’ 
entertainment even with Jackie! 

We fixed up a real little stage on a platform we 
made with a box cover. We put it in the gym 
where plays at school are always held. I said the 
platform of the Assembly Hall wasn’t big enough. 

Mercy! Wasn’t it fun arranging the stage and 
the curtain! (We did it all inside a big box — the 
stage arrangement, I mean.) We had some grass 
and some big stones that looked like rocks. We 
made believe that all the little girl dolls were help- 
ing. Then, we decided that everything was, at 
last, ready and it was time for the audience to 
come. 

Marjorie played something on the doll piano 
and I brought the little dolls in by twos and threes. 
Miss Littledoll made a speech before the curtain 



THE FIRST PLAY AT HALCYON HALL 


^ I ■’HIS is the Indian Play given by the students 
-*■ of Miss Littledoll’s School on the stage that 
was in the “gym.” You can see Binkie’s very 
wonderful expression. You can see Tootsie 
Noggins in her cowboy suit too. 



THE PLAY 


171 


and then the two Trustees made speeches and then 
with great applause somebody pulled the curtain 
and the Indian play began. You ought to have 
seen Binkie Wolsen! My, but she was good! 
Her expression was wonderful — she really looked 
very, very savage and made a dreadful fuss about 
the sale of the land on which her wigwam had 
been. (She wore her Camp Fire costume and her 
beads about her neck showed that Binkie was 
really a pretty clever little girl doll. She had 
beads of every colour.) 

Kathleen Diana Deborah Finch was the Big 
Chief and she wore a splendid head-dress with a 
great green feather in it. (Marjorie said I 
shouldn’t tell where the feather came from but I 
don’t know why not: I got it out of a feather 
duster, I did! But, if you play Indians, I wouldn’t 
advise you to rob a feather duster! No I 

wouldn’t Beside that, 1 only took one 

feather. Kathleen Diana Deborah Finch had to 
have it and the feather was coming out anyhow! 
It felt so. I know it would have come out some- 
time, even if I hadn’t pulled it.) 

Tootsie in her cowboy suit really did unexpect- 


172 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

edly well. She had to be prompted twice but 
nobody noticed it — or, if they did they were polite 
enough to pretend that they thought it was all 
intended. 

The applause was simply wonderful! Yes, 
when the curtain went together after the end of 
the first act, Marjorie and I knew that all the 
parents and the friends, as well as the two Trustees 
and the teachers, the pupils and Miss Littledoll 
herself were highly pleased with the entertain- 
ment. 

‘T hope they’ll have another play, Marjorie,” 
I begged. “We all like it. I want to play that 
they do have a French play!” 

But Marjorie was quite firm. “We can’t,” said 
she. “I don’t know French — and, beside that, 
none of the little girl dolls would want to be in it. 
It would be too hard work for them to learn the 
parts.” 

Yes. It might have been difficult. That was 
true. Perhaps, even, the parents and the friends 
would think quite as well of an Indian play in 
English. Probably Miss Littledoll had thought it 
out and planned best for the welfare of the school 


THE PLAY 


173 


when she decided that they were to have only this 
play. Miss Littledoll always knew what was 
right and she could be trusted. 

There were more examinations coming after 
the play had been given — and then there were 
Easter holidays! Marjorie had to help the teach- 
ers drill the students and I went back to my work 
in the study. 




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CHAPTER TWELVE: TOOTSIE CRAMS 
FOR EXAMINATIONS 


CHAPTER XII 


TOOTSIE CRAMS FOR EXAMINATIONS 

T he Easter vacation was really not half as 
exciting as the Christmas holidays. It 
was only a week long anyway. Binkie 
and Tootsie and Betty Bracton went home but 
the pupils who lived far away like Jane James 
and Phoebe Snow had to stay at Miss LittledolBs 
School and make the best of it. We thought they 
had a pretty dull time. The only excitements 
were going to take walks with Miss Scribble and 
dancing in the gym with each other. The pupil 
teacher, Marjorie said, tried to get up an Easter 
party — a tea party. A few of the girls went but 
it was no fun. 

Spring was in the air all about the white doll 
house. When I went over to see Marjorie, Mrs. 
Wolsen doll was talking about house cleaning. 
Marjorie thought that Mr. Wolsen’s study was 

177 


178 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

going to be repapered but he was making a fuss 
about it. You see, he didn’t want the room torn 
up. He had to begin writing another story and 
he had to write it in the study, of course. 

Binkie had been working so hard that the fam- 
ily thought she ought to be outdoors a great deal. 
She and Daddy and Peggy and Uncle Tom took 
the Wolsen’s donkey and went off for long walks. 
When anybody grew tired, so Marjorie said, they 
rode the donkey. Sometimes they took Chuckles 
with them. Chuckles loved to watch the hens and 
the ducks that they met by the way. 

In the Easter holidays too. Mother Wolsen doll 
had to arrange Binkie’s wardrobe for spring. It 
kept Marjorie sewing busily with Mrs. Roberts’ 
bag of pieces. Binkie had to have a new straw 
hat made out of braided raffia and trimmed with 
paper flowers. She had to have a spring suit and 
some new middy-blouses. Then, when all was 
done, the Easter holidays were suddenly over and 
Binkie was back at Miss Littledoll’s School in the 
toy-closet once more. 

When spring came to Miss Littledoll’s School, 
we had to take up the snow cloth and put down a 



ON THE LAKE 


T T RRF, is Binkie Wolsen out in a canoe study- 
ing during recreation period. Tootsie Nog- 
gins is on the shore waving to her. She wants 
to tell her some news. 


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TOOTSIE CRAMS FOR EXAMINATIONS 179 


beautiful green felt tablecloth in the place where 
the “grounds” of the school were. The lake, too, 
changed its icy appearance and changed to a soft 
crepe cloth that seemed to have little ripples. And 
a whole flock of cunning toy ducks appeared on 
the shore one day. (Between you and me, they 
came from the ten-cent store at five cents apiece — 
but I put them there as a surprise for Marjorie. 
She thought they were lovely. The little girl dolls 
thought so too and they used to come down to the 
lake at recess to feed them.) 

Another thing that came as a surprise was the 
toy canoe. I found that in a shop one day and it 
seemed the very thing for the lake at Miss Little- 
dolFs. It was a real little canoe made out of bark. 
The little girl dolls used to paddle about in it. 
Sometimes they carried couch pillows and study 
books and spent study hour out on the lake — but 
they never really learned much out there. It was 
only the best students who were allowed to take 
study books out in the canoe in study hour. Binkie 
always did it. Her marks were getting better and 
better. She talked about the pony as if Daddy 
had really given it to her. She had named it 


180 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

Black Beauty. She was quite sure of getting the 
pony now. But when she went out on the lake, 
she somehow couldn’t study: the birds in the 
bushes sang such distracting little trills; the flock 
of ducks quacking called to her for bits of bread; 
the wind blew the pages of her study book and 
her thoughts went wool-gathering in the sunshine. 
Alas! Binkie’s marks began — yes, they began to 
be less good I Oh dear 1 

Miss Littledoll thought about it. Then she 
sent word to Binkie that she would like to see her. 
It was Jane James who brought the message. 

Marjorie played that Binkie did much better 
after the serious talk with Miss Littledoll and 
gave up going out on the lake to study. But in 
recreation time she often carried her couch cush- 
ions out to the lake and tried hard to keep her 
thoughts on American history and algebra. It 
was one of these afternoons when, suddenly. 
Tootsie Noggins came running to the edge of the 
lake waving frantically to Binkie doll studying in 
the canoe. 

Tootsie had her golf bag over her shoulder. 
She had evidently been off playing. (You know 


TOOTSIE CRAMS FOR EXAMINATIONS 181 


Tootsie never hurt herself studying! She always 
trusted to luck. Her marks were so bad that they 
seemed hopeless — but the teachers had scolded 
her so much that they were tired out. Beside 
that, no scoldings seemed to make Tootsie realise 
that she must study if she intended to graduate 
with her class. Tootsie thought only about hav- 
ing fun.) 

“What do you suppose Tootsie wants with 
Binkie?” I asked Marjorie as we played with the 
little dolls by the lakeside. 

“I don’t know,” Marjorie returned. “Maybe 
she wants Binkie to come and play with her.” 

“The breeze carries her voice the wrong way. 
Binkie does not hear her,” I explained. “Binkie 
seems to be studying in a most absorbed way. 
Make Tootsie wave some more! Make her call 
again!” 

“Hoo-oo-oo!” called Tootsie from the rock at 
the lakeside. She waved frantically. “Binkie, 
Binkie! Hoo-oo-oo!” 

At last Binkie looked up. Oh, there was Toot- 
sie doll calling. “Wait a minute,” she called back. 


182 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


“I’ll come.” And she paddled toward the rock 
by the shore. 

“I’ve got something to tell you,” Tootsie panted, 
as she drew the head of the canoe up on the rock. 
“Did you know the teachers were in Miss Little- 
doll’s office this afternoon having a meeting?” 

“Sure!” returned Binkie. 

“Jane James says that they’ve been talking 
about every girl in the whole school and telling 
all the marks — they said — Jane James says she 
heard them say 1 wasn’t going to graduate!” 

“Mercy! Oh, Tootsie! Why you must grad- 
uate!” 

“I know it,” wept Tootsie. “That’s what I 
came here for! I must graduate — I mustr 

“Did the teachers really say it? How do you 
know they said it?” 

“Well, you know Jane James was passing by 
the door and she rather waited a little. She said 
she began to wait when she heard her own name 
mentioned. She won’t tell what they said about 
her but she waited and heard what they said about 
me ” 

“I don’t think it’s very nice to listen at key- 



TOOTSIE STUDIES HARD TO PASS EXAMINATION 


'VT'OU can see how very worried Tootsie is 
because she knows she has played too much 
and she wants very much to graduate with her 
class at Miss Littledoll’s School. 





TOOTSIE CRAMS FOR EXAMINATIONS 183 


holes/’ snapped Binkie. “What made you pay 
any attention to her!” 

“I had to,” Tootsie defended. “Of course Miss 
Means, all along, has told me I wouldn’t pass if 
I had so many bad marks; Miss Scribble and 
Mademoiselle Ouinon have talked to me too. I 
had a scolding from Miss Littledoll about my last 
report but it seemed to me that things would turn 
out all right in the end. I don’t like people who 
listen at key-holes either! But Jane James de- 
clared that she really heard it!” 

“Maybe it was some other girl — not you at all,” 
Binkie comforted. But Tootsie felt sure that 
there had been no mistake. “I must study hard 
now, Binkie! I must grind!” she resolved. “I 
really mustn’t play any more ! What books have 
you in the canoe? Let’s push out on the lake and 
you coach me up a little ! I wish I were a student 
like you,” sighed poor little Tootsie doll. 

With the two little dolls in the canoe, books 
piled about them and cushions too, Marjorie gave 
it a push out into the beautiful crepe cloth lake. 
They spent the entire recreation hour out there. 
Binkie asked questions about United States His- 


184 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


tory and Tootsie tried to answer them. “Give the 
date when Columbus discovered America?” she 
asked. “When did the people of Boston throw 
the tea into Boston Harbour?” 

She kept Tootsie at it till the gong sounded for 
the close of recreation period. Marjorie said 
Tootsie had never before studied so hard. “I 
think,” said Tootsie, “I might do better at my 
lessons if you and I were to study together, Binkie 
— would you mind?” 

Binkie — like the good little doll she was — did 
not mind. Binkie was very generous. She of- 
fered to help. “If things are as serious as you 
think they are. Tootsie, I advise you to see what 
Miss Littledoll can do about it. Why don’t you 
go to see her and ask?” 

“I might,” assented Tootsie, as they walked up 
the path to the house. “I hate to do it.” 

As soon as there was a chance. Tootsie went to 
Miss LittledolFs office and knocked at the door. 

“Come in,” cooed Miss LittledolFs voice. “Oh, 
Tootsie, my dear, is it you, child? Are you in 
trouble? What is it?” 

“I — I — I must graduate with my class,” sobbed 


TOOTSIE CRAMS FOR EXAMINATIONS 185 

Tootsie. “You know, I must — I really must! My 
— my — my boo-hoo-hoo — my marks are so bad ! I 
haven’t done right — boo-hoo! I haven’t studied 
enough — boo-hoo I” 

Miss Littledoll looked grave. “Yes, your 
marks have been very poor, my child,” she agreed. 
“You have not taken the work seriously.” 

“My mother and father,” sobbed Tootsie, “they 
will feel so badly I And there is Binkie — I want 
to be grad-u-a-ted — she is going to be an honour 
to her family and then I will come home at the 
same time and not gra-du-ate I” 

Miss Littledoll shook her head. “We all 
warned you. Tootsie.” 

“Boo-hoo, I know it I” 

“I am very sorry. Tootsie, my dear!” 

“But — but — what — what can be done?'* asked 
poor Tootsie. “I boo-hoo — I must graduate!” 

“There is only one more month before June,” 
returned Miss Littledoll severely. “You should 
have begun to try before!” 

“I know. Miss Littledoll!” 

“Perhaps Miss Means can help you ” 

“Miss Means?*" 


186 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

“I will ask her to tutor you/’ answered Miss 
Littledoll. “If anybody can help you, my dear, 
Miss Means will! You will need to give up your 
entire afternoons to tutoring and have extra les- 
sons with Miss Means at night.” 

“Oh dear,” sighed Marjorie. “Let’s play she 
doesn’t have to do ALL that 1 I think it’s dread- 
ful for poor Tootsie! Why, she can never have 
any more fun!” 

“It’s her own fault, Marjorie,” I argued. “We 
must do as Miss Littledoll suggests.” 

“Yes, I suppose we must! Well, Miss Means 
is in her room now. Tootsie’d better go right up 
there.” 

“She hates to go.” 

“Yes, she hates it but she must do it just the 
same.” 

So Marjorie walked Tootsie doll soberly from 
Miss Littledoll’s office to the door of Miss Means’ 
room. 

Tootsie knocked softly. 

“Come!” replied a voice that was the voice of 
the cross teacher. 

“It’s me,” said Tootsie putting her head in at 



TOOTSIE NOGGINS IN MISS MEANS’ ROOAl 


"LJERE is Tootsie coming to be coached by 
Miss Means in Miss Means’ room. Miss 
Means is sewing and it is in recreation period. 
Miss Means’ hair is shampooed. It is very un- 
usually fluffy. 





V ' ' • ' ' i 




TOOTSIE CRAMS FOR EXAMINATIONS 187 

the door. “Please — Miss Littledoll sent me — I 
want to — to — to — to ” 

“Well, don’t be a steam engine,” snapped Miss 
Sophonisba Ann Means. “Tell me what you 
want without this to-to-ingl Be outspoken!” 

So Tootsie came into the room and stated her 
case. Miss Means accepted it. “But I don’t 
think you will ever know enough to graduate any- 
how,” she stated. “But we can try!” She seemed 
very doubtful indeed about Tootsie’s ever catch- 
ing up. 

That evening poor Tootsie Noggins drilled and 
drilled with the cross teacher. She had a terrible 
time of it! 

But, Marjorie said, as things went on. Tootsie 
tried very hard. “If you try very hard, you can’t 
help doing good work,” she said. “Tootsie is 
trying!” 

“I think Miss Means is beginning to like Toot- 
sie, Marjorie! I really do!” 

“Yes, she sees she is trying.” 

“Yes, of course. But Tootsie always brings 
Miss Means’ little dog a piece of candy every time 


188 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

she comes for a lesson. Have you never noticed 

THAT?’^ 

“Um-hum,” Marjorie assented. ‘‘I think Miss 
Means' little pet dog likes Tootsie.” 

‘*He does,*' I said. 

‘‘He licks her hand,” went on Marjorie. “That 
is very unusual for him. Miss Means has always 
had to keep her pet in her room away from the 
pupils because he is so snappish I 

“I know it — and do you remember how he bit 
Binkie the day she took a picture of the girls in 
their basket ball bloomers when they tried to get 
him for a basket ball mascot ” 

I nodded. I knew Marjorie was pretending. 
And no doubt this had happened some day when 
I was busy working in my study, even though ^ 
did not recall it. So many things that I did not 
witness happened at the little dolls’ school I Prob- 
ably this had happened too Marjorie said 

it had. 

“Do you notice how Miss Means does her hair 
lately?” asked Marjorie. 

“Why, I thought something was different, but 
I didn’t know it was that!” 


TOOTSIE CRAMS FOR EXAMINATIONS 189 

‘Tt’s shampooed,” smiled Marjorie. “She even 
curls it a little. I think it is curled on crimpers 
at night. Don’t you think she looks prettier?” 

“I suppose the girls like it better,” I evaded. 

“Um-hum — Tootsie likes it.” 

There was a long pause. “I think Tootsie is 
really beginning to like Miss Means,” mused 
Marjorie. “And I think Miss Means is begin- 
ning to like Tootsie too. I don’t think Miss 
Means is so bad after all, do you?** 

“Why, no, of course not,” I answered. “She 
is helping Tootsie Noggins ever so much. 1 
always liked her!” 

**Did you?” 

We both smiled. 

“Her bark is worse than her bite,” said Mar- 
jorie. 


CHAPTER THIRTEEN: THE CLOSING 
OF HALCYON HALL 



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CHAPTER XIII 


THE CLOSING OF HALCYON HALL 

Y OU just ought to have seen Tootsie 
Noggins study those last few weeks at 
Miss LittledolFs School! She simply 
crammed. If anybody asked her to go outdoors 
and play, she said she couldn’t possibly! 

“Please — please, Tootsie,” Pinkie would urge. 
“I’m not going to see you any more by and by. 
We have been together all this year. I do so 
want you to have another real good game of 
tennis !” 

“Oh, do come!” Annette Allison would say. 
“Come out on the links — we all want you at the 
match Saturday!” But Tootsie stuck to her 
books. She was bound to graduate. 

Binkie told the girls they ought to try to help 
Tootsie. I think she was right. I am sure Binkie 
did all she could to help Tootsie. At night, 

when Tootsie had been working very hard at 
193 


194. MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

her books, Binkie wouldn’t let her go to bed 
without having had a hot cup of malted milk. 
She said it would strengthen her. 

Marjorie was sure that Binkie would graduate 
all right. Of course — why everybody knew that 
Binkie’s standing was excellent. Her deport- 
ment, too, was perfect. 

Kathleen Diana Debora Finch was almost 
certain she herself would pass. 

Rosalinda Clara Smith had had some poor 
marks, but she hoped to graduate. 

Tootsie was trying to do well enough to pull 
through, and the only other member of the class, 
Phoebe Snow, had her white dress all made for 
commencement. 

Marjorie kept the teachers busy with special 
meetings. It seemed to me, if the little girl dolls 
were occupied with studies all the time, the 
teachers were equally industrious over the cor- 
rection of examination tests and averages. At 
last came the day when Miss Littledoll sent for 
the class. “It gives me much joy to tell you 
all, young ladies — ^yes. Tootsie dear, — all of you 
are going to graduate.” 



COMMENCEMENT DAY 


^ I ■'HIS shows the platform of Assembly Hall 
on Commencement. You can see the grad- 
uates. From right to left they are: Priscilla 
Jukes, Tootsiah Noggins, Binkie Wolsen, Phoebe 
Snow, Rosalinda Clara Smith. Poor Kathleen 
Diana Deborah Finch is behind the speaker, 
Mr. George Abihad Wolsen, who has just been 
introduced by the principal. Miss Littledoll. He 
has risen to bow. In his arms, he holds the 
diplomas of the graduating class. 


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THE CLOSING OF HALCYON HALL 195 

**Mef** asked Tootsie anxiously in spite of Miss 
LittledolFs direct words. 

“Yes, you dear! I am proud to have had any 
girl in my school who tried as hard as you have!” 

Whew! Wasnt that fine? 

“You are now expected to write your grad- 
uating essays,” went on Miss Littledoll. “It is 
the custom of the school to give a prize of ten 
dollars in gold for the best written essay. A prize 
of five dollars in gold is given for the second 
best essay. We always give a prize of ten dollars 
to the pupil whose work during the year shows 
the greatest improvement. I suppose you have 
all known about these prizes, young ladies?” 

They said they had. 

“I hope 1 don’t get the Improvement Prize,” 
said Phoebe Snow. (She said it aside to Binkie.) 

“Nobody wants the Improvement Prize,” 
Binkie returned. “Who do you suppose will 
get it?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“I can’t think!” 

They were all a bit worried over the Im- 
provement Prize. Even though it was TEN 


196 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

DOLLARS, everybody felt it would be better 
not to have the ten dollars than to have it publicly 
announced from the commencement platform^ 
before everybody that — that one’s work had im- 
proved! It seemed to be some kind of disgrace 
to think that it hadn’t been absolutely perfect all 
along, I suppose. 

Marjorie said Binkie was afraid she would 
get the Improvement Prize. (You see she had 
improved during the school year.) Yes, Binkie 
had improved, I said. She might get it. 

“What is the subject of Binkie’s essay, Mar- 
jorie?” 

Marjorie thought. “Do I have to make up a 
title?” she asked. “Really?” 

I nodded. 

Marjorie thought again. “It’s about The — 
the ” 

**The Value of Good Deportment^ I sug- 
gested. 

“Yes,” Marjorie smiled. 

“I suppose by this time she is busy writing it !” 

“She is. I think it’s almost done. Miss 
Scribble says her outline is good.” 


THE CLOSING OF HALCYON HALL 197 

‘‘And how is Tootsie getting on with her 
essay?” 

“Well, you see, Tootsie isn’t going to try to 
win an essay prize. She says she wants to have 
some fun before school closes. She hasn’t begun 
her essay yet!* 

“Oh, dear I She’ll have to hurry I What is she 
going to write about?” 

“She doesn’t know yeti” 

*'Doesnt know yet!** 

“Well, I think she is going to do the outline 
to-night. Binkie’s going to help her. She was 
out playing tennis all the afternoon. The girls 
had a tennis match.” 

“I think, Marjorie, she ought to come in and 
start that commencement essay,” I advised. 
“Really, you know, nobody can graduate from 
Miss Littledoll’s School without having written 
a graduating essay!” 

So we called Tootsie in and made her sit down 
at the little table in her room and write. She 
wrote and wrote and wrote. Then she jumbled 
the sheets together and said she thought, at last, 
the essay was done. It was about My Ideal of 


198 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

School Life, I think. It didn’t much matter what 
it was about, Marjorie said. Tootsie was simply 
glad it was DONE I 

Of course, Binkie was openly trying for the 
essay prize. So, too, was Phoebe Snow and Kath- 
leen Diana Deborah Finch and Rosalinda Clara 
Smith. They had hardly finished their essays 
and handed them in to the judges when another 
excitement arrived in the shape of commence- 
ment dresses. 

Marjorie had made the commencement dresses 
all alike. They were white organdie with lace 
trimming. All the little girl dolls were to wear 
white flowers in their hair and most of them had 
already determined to do their hair up in a knot. 
(You see they felt quite grown up. It is only 
once that one feels really grown up, and that is 
when one does graduate from boarding-school.) 

The white dresses were most becoming. Every 
one fitted. It was perfectly beautiful — simply, 
perfectly beautiful! 

They wondered who the commencement 
speaker would be. Each member of the class 
voted to have a different one. It was Miss Little- 


THE CLOSING OF HALCYON HALL 199 

doll who thought it would be rather nice to have 
Binkie Wolsen’s famous father. (He didn’t want 
to come, for the papering of his study had been 
put off till just this time, Marjorie said. Mrs. 
Wolsen had everything topsy-turvey in the white 
doll house. She had put off all her houseclean- 
ing till after the paperhangers were through. 
Mr. Wolsen wanted to be home to see to his 
papers when the things were moved out of the 
study.) When, however. Miss Littledoll urged 
him and Mrs. Wolsen and Binkie quite insisted, 
Mr. Wolsen consented to come. He really 
wanted to do it for Binkie’s sake, only there were 
his papers to be taken care of in the study, I said. 

Marjorie was very busy before commencement. 
She had to make all the diplomas and tie them 
each in a roll with white ribbon. The platform 
for the graduating exercises had to be decorated, 
too. Miss Littledoll did not trust this to the 
students. She had it done by a florist, Marjorie 
said. 

Then, too. Miss Littledoll herself had to have 
a new black velvet dress with spangles. (We pre- 
tended that,) Mr. Wolsen was going to wear 


200 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

his doctor's gown. It had long flowing sleeves 
and a hood. Marjorie made it from a piece of 
black cloth. Besides this Mrs. Wolsen and Mrs. 
Noggins had to have special new clothes — and 
Mrs. Bracton had to have new things too! It 
was a very, very busy time. 

Marjorie came into my study to sew all these 
things while the little .girl dolls were occupied 
with the close of school and waiting for the great 
event of commencement day. 

‘‘Fm sorry it has to end," she sighed. “I like 
playing with Miss Littledoll. I almost wish it 
wasn’t the end of my vacation. I’ll have to go to 
school again next week. It’s September. I shan’t 
have much time to play dolls any longer, I sup- 
pose! I’ll have to study the way Tootsie has 
been studying.’’ 

‘‘But you like to study.’’ 

“Oh, yes! But I like to play dolls too!’’ 

“I know,’’ I sympathised. “So do 1. Maybe 
we’ll have another school next year, if you still 
like to play dolls as much as I do.’’ 

“I can play in the white doll house at home on 



BINKIE AND HER PONY 


T-IERE is Binkie Wolsen on her pony. Mr. 

-*■ Wolsen gave it to her as a graduating pres- 
ent. Tootsie Noggins’ father gave her a pony 
too. (It had to be kept at the Wolsen’s stable 
after she got it.) Mr. Wolsen often took the 
children out for a ride over the hills and far 
away. Peggy used to go too sometimes. Uncle 
Tom had to walk back of her donkey to make it 
go. When they were out riding, they used to 
talk over the good times they had had that year 
at Miss Littledoll’s School. 




THE CLOSING OF HALCYON HALL 201 

Saturdays. You’ll come over and play with 
Binkie and Tootsie and Betty and me?” 

I promised. 

“And we’ll keep Miss Littledoll and all the 
pupils for other play this winter, won’t we?” 

“They can come to visit the white doll house,” 
I suggested. 

“Maybe!” 

“I don’t believe Tootsie and Binkie want school 
to end any more than I do!” 

“Oh, they’ll be glad to go home, I think. Of 
course it will be hard to say good-bye to Miss 
Littledoll and Pinkie and Penelope Jukes and 
Dotty Dawson and Laura Brown and Annette 
Allison and Kathleen Diana Deborah Finch and 
Phoebe Snow. They’re almost like sisters — but 
they can come to visit during the holidays and see 
Binkie’s pony, can’t they?” 

We agreed that they could and that it might 
be jolly to have a little dolls’ camping-out party — 
all of the pupils of Miss Littledoll’s School. 
There could be white tents — oh, that would be 
something to look forward to on a holiday after- 
noon, Saturday! 


202 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


“Why couldn’t Miss Littledoll have a summer 
camp for little girl dolls?” I asked. 

“Hooray!” sang Marjorie. “The very thing! 
What fun!” 

“We can change the toy-closet,” I agreed. 
“We’ll have it! But I think now that we ought 
to have commencement very soon — as soon as 
you can fix up the platform for the florist. You 
call me when you are all ready. I want to be 
surprised!” 

Great preparations were going on at Miss 
Littledoll’s School. I could hear them even above 
the click of the typewriter in the study. They 
took the large part of an afternoon, and then 
Marjorie called me to come. 

I just wish you could have seen the graduating 
class sitting in a row on that platform the florist 
had decorated for Miss Littledoll ! It was a beau- 
tiful sight — such pretty graduates ! Such flowers ! 
And there beside the graduating class was Mr. 
G. Abihad Wolsen, the speaker for the occasion. 

The “exercises” went the way exercises ought 
to go. Miss Littledoll made an address and she 
introduced Binkie Wolsen’s famous father. 


THE CLOSING OF HALCYON HALL 208 

(Just as if everybody present didn’t know him 
perfectly well already!) 

He made a wonderful address and looked 
terribly learned in his gown that had the long 
flowing sleeves and the doctor’s hood. (I’ve for- 
gotten what university gave him his degree.) 

Then he gave out the diplomas. (I guess 
Tootsie Noggins’ little doll heart went pit-a-pat 
when she really had hers!) 

Binkie, of course, knew she had earned the 
pony. Daddy had told her all about the pony. 
It was to be there when she came home — how 
jolly! Really, think of having a pony! Think 
of it! Could anything be nicer? 

Well, the ‘‘exercises” went on till it came to 
the announcing of prizes. Mr. Wolsen stood 
up impressively and cleared his throat. “I have 
a very great and unexpected pleasure before me,” 
he stated. “I have to give out the names of those 
who have won the prizes of the school year at 
Miss Littledoll’s School. I And that the winner 
of the essay prize — the First Prize — is — is my 
own precious daughter, Binkie Wolsen! As a 
parent, I am deeply grateful to Miss Littledoll’s 


204 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

School for all it has done for Binkie Wolsen. 
I am very glad I let Binkie come to Miss Little- 
dolFs School. I shall always be glad that I let 
her come and that she left it an honour to her 
school, her family, herself I’^ 

There was wild applause. Marjorie and I 
clapped as hard as ever we could clap! Wasn’t 
it splendid? 

Binkie went forward, bowed. There was more 
clapping and then, as Mr. Wolsen came forward 
to make the next announcement, it died away. 

“There is a second prize offered for the next 
best essay,” Mr. Wolsen stated. “It gives me 
much happiness to announce that this is a tie 
between two pupils who have done excellent 
work. We have therefore decided to divide this 
prize between the two, who are Rosalinda Clara 
Smith and Penelope Jukes.” 

More hand-clapping! 

Hardly had the two taken their seats when 
Mr. Wolsen again began (“It’s the Im- 

provement Prize,” said Marjorie.) 

I nodded. We were both breathless. I was 


THE CLOSING OF HALCYON HALL 205 

hoping Tootsie would escape it. Marjorie was 
hoping Binkie would. 

“There is an honourable prize to be earned 
by the pupil who has shown the greatest stride 
in general improvement during the school year/^ 
said Mr. Wolsen. “I feel that it is a great honour 
to improve in one’s work. Everybody should 
want to improve in work. The pupil who has 
accomplished great improvement in her studies 
at Miss Littledoll’s School is Tootsiah Noggins.” 

Miss Littledoll and all the teachers were clap- 
ping their hands frantically. Miss Sophonisba 
Ann Means clapped with such emotion that she 
had to take out her hanky and wipe her eyes. 
Ah, it was a proud moment for Miss Sophonisba 
Ann Means — surely this was due to her excellent 
coaching I 

Tootsie took the prize and tried to look very 
pleased. I think she was wishing that she had 
had a more even record for the year. She might, 
if she had played less ! But her parents, Mr. and 
Mrs. Noggins, were happy about the prize. They 
suggested that she put it in the savings bank. 

All the girls and teachers and parents and 


206 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 


friends had to congratulate all the little girl dolls 
after the exercises were over — the exercises were 
very, very long, as exercises always are. It took 
some time before everything was over. Then 
Tootsie and Binkie and Betty and Laura Brown, 
Phoebe Snow, Annette Allison, Kathleen Diana 
Deborah Finch, Rosalinda Clara Smith, Jane 
James and Penelope Jukes kissed everybody all 
around and went to their rooms to cry because 
school was all, ALL OVER. 

When they had cried they recovered their 
happy spirits again, as little girl dolls will. They 
all exchanged photographs and farewells the next 
day and they all left Miss LittledolFs School with 
glad anticipation of going to their own homes 
for a while. 

‘T am proud of all my girls,” said Miss Little- 
doll in saying good-bye to Binkie Wolsen and 
Tootsie Noggins, “but I am especially proud of 
you, my dears!” 

Then the bus came to the front door of Miss 
LittledolFs School; Miss Means, Mademoiselle 
Ouinon, the pupil-teacher and Miss Scribble 
were in the hall to hug all the little girl dolls — 


THE CLOSING OF HALCYON HALL 207 


especially Tootsie and Binkie. Miss Means 
promised to come to visit Tootsie some time and 
they hoped all of them to spend a few weeks in 
Camp during the summer vacation. 

The bus rolled down the driveway and out 
at the door of the toy-closet. Binkie and Tootsie 
were waving back toward Miss Littledoll and 
the teachers. It had been a most delightful school 
year for our little girl dolls. 

Marjorie picked up the box that we had pre- 
tended was the bus. “The play of Miss Little- 
doll’s School is over,” she sighed. “It was a 
jolly kind of doll play. I’d like to begin and 
play it all over again!” 

“Perhaps,” I suggested, “if you still like to 
play dolls we will play it next summer vacation. 
Maybe by that time Miss Littledoll’s School will 
open again.” 

“And Binkie and Tootsie can be special 
students ” 

“Why not?” 

“I’m rather glad to have my real school begin,” 
Marjorie smiled, “even though we have to stop 
playing dolls a while. I like school. I hope 


208 MARJORIE’S LITTLE DOLL SCHOOL 

when / graduate that Fll have a prize for the best 
composition/' 

“I hope so, too," said I, '‘but I hope you'll 
never grow too old to play." And then we went 
to the ten-cent store to buy the dolls each a pony. 





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